New Boss, new luck
by SuzySorrowLess
Summary: What are you supposed to do, if you find out, youre in love with the "wrong" person? Hotch and Rosslyn Baines, the new temporarily Section Chief, decide to keep their relationship professional, after one passionate night. A pretty hard thing to do. But when Billie, Roses 14-year old girl gets in trouble, Hotch takes care of her and there will we a lot more, to take care of...
1. Chapter 1

**Hi and welcome. Wanna spend some time with my story? Thanks for that, guys. English isn´t my usual language, so please be patient and don´t shoot me for the grammar, it may be unusual, sometimes. But I hope, you´ll enjoy it, anyway. Let´s go!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don´t own Criminal minds and I´m not gaining any money from this, its written just for fun.**

Billie screamed in the clothing department of the store. "You're so mean! Laura would let me wear that! That's all so unfair, I do hate Washington!"

The 14-year-old stamped her foot and pushed her mother away. Rose hung the clothes back on the rack and grabbed her rebellious daughter's shoulders.

"I won´t say that again, I decide what you wear and what you don´t wear, and there will be no further discussion on that issue. This dress makes you look like a pavement princess and I won´t let you leave the house in an outfit like that. Did I make myself clear? Maybe Laura dresses this way, but that´s her business. And if there is something else you have to say, think it over. Otherwise, there won´t be shopping trips for the next few weeks. Did you get that?"

The 14-year-old said nothing, for now.

"What is a pavement princess, Daddy?"

Jack asked his father. Little Hotchner had grown out of many things, and Aaron's sister-in-law Jess sentenced Hotch to go shopping with his son. And I do hate shopping, Hotch thought and the scene only a few feet away, was not necessarily helpful to improve his mood. Jack's question made Hotch flabbergasted and he didn´t know how to explain to his son, what a pavement princess was.

The stressed mother felt sorry for the speechless father and leaned over to Jack, "This is someone who dresses up in skirts, that are way too small for her, you know?"

Jack nodded and threw Billie, whose skirt was very short and very close to her mother´s limit of pain, a critical look.

"Why are you so mean to your Mommy?" he asked her.

"That's none of your business, kiddo, but I guess, your Mom doesn´t drag you from town to town, just because of her _job_." Billie replied acidly, accenting _job _like it was something really disgusting.

"I'd go anywhere with my Mommy, but my Dad says I'm too young to go with my Mommy to heaven." Jack said sadly.

Hotch gave Billie a strange look, she looked to the floor. Billie knew, she had been out of line.

"I guess, an excuse is in order," he didn´t sound as if he was only making a suggestion.

"Yes sir," meekly came from her, "I'm so sorry, Mom. I didn´t want to be that ugly to you. And that´s pretty bad, with your Mom, kiddo."

Billie spontaneously hugged Jack to express her compassion and reconciled him immediately. Rosslyn was glad that her daughter proved that she was a good girl. Rose knew, it was hard for Billie, to leave everything behind, especially her father, a father, who had no interest in his daughter at all. Rose felt so sorry for Billie, she was trying so hard, to get her father's attention, all Billie wanted to hear was, _don´t go with your Mom, stay with me._ But Richard didn´t say so. Asshole, Rose thought bitterly. That wasn´t the father a child should have. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave Hotch a warm smile and a whispered "thank you."

"It´s ok," Hotch said and ran his gaze over his opponent. She had dark hair, almost black, Hotch noticed. How old could she possibly be? 40, maximum, more likely in her mid-thirties, and yet he could see slight traces of gray in her hair. She wore a turquoise-colored jeans and a matching shirt, her clothes emphasized her figure advantageous. She didn´t wear much make up, as Hotch noted, but that wasn´t necessary, her huge, grey eyes were spectacular. Hotch felt like drowning into them. Rosslyn could tell, he checked her out, but he wasn´t intrusive, more carefully interested. Rosslyn also liked what she saw, clearly. She immediately felt attracted to him. He was tall and slender, his dark hair was cut short and accurately. He radiated calmness and trust, and something very familiar to Rosslyn. Her father had that same expression, at that day, Rosslyn was as old as the little boy and her father had to tell her that her Mom won´t come home again, never again.

"Can Billie and I have some ice cream?" Jack pulled his Dad's sleeve. The children were one step ahead the adults and had already introduced themselves.

"Yes please, Mum," and turning to Hotch, "I'm a nice person, I really am," Billie didn´t want to risk any trouble with Jack's stern-looking Dad, he scares the hell out of me, Billie thought. Hotch threw a questioning look on Billie´s mother, Rosslyn shrugged.

"Over there, where we can see you, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Billie said, took a $5 note from Aaron and grabbed Jack´s hand.

"She doesn´t even call her father _sir _", Rosslyn grinned, "you must have impressed her."

She held out her hand, "I'm Rosslyn," she said. Hotch squeezed it.

"Aaron," he replied her smile. "So you're not from Washington D.C.," it was more a statement than a question. She sounded like Will, JJ's husband, Aaron thought, like deep south, real deep south. Like magnolias and Scarlett O´Hara.

"Atlanta, I am here for professional reasons, I´ve been offered a new job. Billie wanted to stay in Georgia, with her father and his current, um..."

"Pavement princess?" Hotch offered some help, smiling at Rosslyn. She couldn´t help, but laugh.

"I actually said so?"

Hotch nodded, "you made this very clear, girls like this are wearing skirts, way too short."

Rose took a deep look in Aaron´s brown eyes. I do love Washington D.C, she thought.


	2. Bye Chief Strauss

**Thank you, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado. Chapter 2 is on it´s way...**

Hotch and his team were on their flight back to Quantico. He had his eyes closed and thought about Rosslyn. They had met last week, twice. For dinner and then, with the children, at a miniature golf course. Billie was a natural, Rosslyn held the putter more like a baseball bat and did everything except to hole. He couldn´t remember the last time, when he felt so at ease and...happy? It felt as if swarms of butterflies were samba dancing in his stomach. Rose was nice, so much more than just nice, he thought of her really cute butt, he came very close, when he had shown her how to hold the putter properly. And Billie? Hotch liked the way, she treated Jack. Like a sister her baby brother.

"What do you think about this rumors?" Reid asked him quietly.

"What?" Hotch answered his colleague, who sat opposite to him. "What rumors do you mean?"

"The rumors, saying Strauss is about to be replaced. She let JJ go, that wasn´t a clever move, I guess, she didn´t make herself a lot of friends with this. Despite the other things, she has done before."

Hotch wanted to get rid of Strauss rather sooner than later, handing her a farewell gift, but feared that this rumor would dissolve into smoke like so many of them before.

"I really have no idea, Reid, I don´t know."

"I always thought, you´re Mr-know-it-all." Rossi said with a grin. "What's this all about?"

"Strauss", Hotch and Reid said in unison.

"She isn´t our problem, anymore." Rossi looked like the proverbial cat that had just licked a bowl of cream. Also the rest of the team was wide awake at once and Rossi found himself the center of attention. "But I shouldn´t know about this things and I shouldn´t talk about it either." he grumbled. "Oh come on, David Rossi, stop teasing us," Prentiss said, "spit it out!"

Rosslyn Baines stepped into her new office in Quantico. She paused to wipe over the sign at the door, that said 'Chief Baines' even if this job was limited for one year at the moment, Rosslyn didn´t mind. She thought of Jason Gideon, her former mentor, how long ago was that, 16, 17 years? She was young and ambitious, always one step to brisk. What costed me almost life, she thought. She put her box on the desk and began to establish herself.

"Strauss spends the next year in New Mexico, it wasn´t only our feet, she stepped constantly on, for the last months. She is already gone by now. We get a high flyer from the south, a former protegé of Jason Gideon."

Dave shared his knowledge a few thousand kilometers apart.

"Do I know him?" Hotch asked.

"He is a she, Hotch. And I don´t think so. It was before you joined the BAU. Even I don´t know her. Her Name is Baines, Rose Baines."

All eyes turned to Reid, "what? Why is everyone assuming, I do know everyone, working at the Bureau?"

"Because you do, pretty boy." Morgan said to Reid and nudged him on the upper arm to make him talk.

"She caught the "Chelsea Strangler" in New York, several years ago. He was responsible for four murders and rapes at the local university. Rosslyn Evans went undercover as a student, Gideon was not thrilled about it. She was talented, but fresh from the Academy. She caught Hal Davies, but was seriously injured during the operation. Gideon didn´t want her back in the BAU, after her recovery, he probably liked her a bit too much." Reid concluded with a very personal view of the things that happened.

"I know Gideon's report´s and I can read between the lines." he added, because Morgan looked at him questioningly.

"But why is she back? She must know that Gideon has left the unit," Emily said and put a question into the room.

"I guess, she wants to prove something," Rossi suspected and looked at Hotch. Who did not react.

"Ground control to Major Hotch," Morgan said, "Hello?"

Hotch was miles away. He thought of "his" Rosslyn, she was from the south and had spoken of a leading position. Could this be possible? They had talked about everything and nothing while eating, but didn´t mention their professions clearly. Hotch called himself a lawyer, what wasn´t exactly a lie, Rose only said, she was working for the Department of Justice. They knew each other only by their first names, perhaps everything was just a coincidence. It has to be, Hotch thought.

Penelope Garcia tottered through the hallway towards Strauss office. No, she corrected herself, Baines office. She had clamped the files requested by Baines under her arm and carried a large green plant with her. Garcia was looking forward to the new boss, compared to Strauss, it could only get better. Astonished, she noticed that the office door was open. She knocked at the door frame.

"Chief Baines?"

"Go on in." said a friendly voice behind her, "my door is always open." Garcia was startled, but kept greens and files bravely determined.

"I´ve got the files you wanted and a little something for, well, for your office. I'm Penelope Garcia, the technical analyst."

She put down the dieffenbachia and put the files of the teams on Roses desk.

" I've heard things about you, Miss Garcia. Nice things, so don´t panic. I´m Rosslyn Baines" she said, putting her pot of ginger tea on a tea warmer. "Why don´t you sit down and have a cup of tea," she offered Garcia.

"You´re nice," slipped out of Gracia´s mouth and Rosslyn smiled.

"I already heard, my precursor wasn´t exactly the 'Hello sunshine' type of person." she said diplomatically. "Tell me something about the department, I only know the names, I´ve been told. I wanna know something personal, before I take a look at the files."

Garcia left the office again about an hour later. She didn´t revise her first impression, Rosslyn Baines was open, warm-hearted and humorous, Penelope found her very likeable. She showed a little funny reaction when Garcia spoke about Hotch, as if she knew him, but Garcia was sure, they didn´t meet, Garcia knew Baines Vita. Their paths didn´t cross.

Rosslyn sat in front of Hotch's record and said a little prayer. "It's not you," she said "please, be someone else." She muttered to herself. She opened the lid and looked at the photo.

"Shit," she said out loud. What else were you supposed to say if you just found out, you´re head over heels in love with one of your agents. Rosslyn groaned, it happened unexpected and unwanted. She wasn´t looking for someone, but Aaron had just looked so good and handsome, when they met for dinner. With his black-colored jeans and the grey shirt, how he dealt with his son and also knew to handle Billie. Her unadjusted daughter who was now, after a long conversation with Aaron, willing to give Washington a try. And then Aaron showed her the proper use of the putter, he came close, very close. The thought of it made Rosslyn´s hormones run wild again. Put yourself together, she thought, how old are you? 16?

Prentiss looked at Hotch, very serious. "You don´t grieve, because Strauss is leaving, right?"

"We don´t know the new one yet," Hotch said.

"Gideon has never talked about her?" Reid asked, "You know him longer than any of us."

Hotch shook his head, "He never said anything about her," he reached for his cell and stood up, "I promised Jack to call", he said and walked out of earshot of the others. Rossi looked after him thoughtfully, something was wrong. He decided to consider this unwritten rule not to profile each other, more than a rough guide.

"You look as if you were expecting a punch, Hotch," Rossi said after they landed in Quantico and now went to their office.

"What do you want to hear, Dave?" Hotch asked quietly.

"Rosslyn Baines," Rossi brought it to the point. "I know you well enough to know that it's about her. But you're not mad because they didn´t ask you to replace Strauss. I know, you hate politics. So there must be something else, I guess, you know her."

Hotch took a deep breath, "So you do?" Rossi interpreted this.

"I hope I_ don´t_ know her, that's a difference," the reply came slowly, "it would make the future very complicated."


	3. Hello Chief Baines

Rosslyn was still in her office, jumpy and nervous. She had no information if Aaron's team was already back from Dallas. She wanted to talk to him, badly, before the Director was introducing her tomorrow morning as the new Section-Chief.

Bad enough that I'm flabbergasted, she thought, and poured herself another cup of tea. Rose had lost track after cup number 7 this day, this was possibly number 15.

"You look good, behind that desk," Hotch said, "much better than Strauss."

He took position in the door frame and crossed his arms, a gesture Rosslyn already knew and that was so typical for him. She rose from her chair and walked over to Hotch.

"Aaron, I didn´t know. Whenever I tell a man what I do for a living, then he tells me, how great this is and never calls me again. I scare the hell out of them. That´s why I didn´t say anything."

"And I also don´t peddle around with my job, Rosslyn. If anything, we both screwed up."

"Is it screwing up when you fall in love?" she asked softly, she was standing very close to Hotch now. Rose smelled his aftershave and felt his presence. And she wanted him, so desperate

"It is, in our case, I guess," he said, kissing Rosslyn violently, knowing it would be one time, no, it had to be only one time, they let themselves go.

Much later, Hotch and Rosslyn lay on the leather couch in her office. "When did we shut the door?", she asked, still completely out of breath.

"Sometime between the desk and the couch, I guess," Hotch said with a satisfied smile. Holding Rose in his arms felt so good and yet, it was so wrong. Aaron held her tightly, as if he was never letting her go again. And was aware that he had to, sooner or later.

"I don´t know if I can forget that, Aaron," Rosslyn was still trapped by what had just happened. He had taken her in his possession, quickly and ardent on her desk and then again, slowly, careful and loving on the couch. Hotch didn´t want to forget how it was, making love to Rose, even if it was for just one night. One night of pleasure, Hotch thought, he wanted so much more.

"I have to go home, Rosie," he said softly.

"I know, I have to go too." Rosslyn sounded just as sad as Hotch.

Rose cried on her way home, she had the feeling, she lost something really important. She was still crying as she unlocked the door.

"Mum?" Billie asked concerned, she didn´t know her mother like that, her Mum was a funny and happy person.

"I had a horrible day, sweetheart," Rosslyn said and hugged her daughter tight.

"I can sleep in your room, Mum, if you want me to," Billie offered and hugged her mother back.

Rose stroked her hair, "that's very nice of you, I must have done something right with you."

"You're always right," Billie said.

If you knew, Rose thought, if you only knew.

When Hotch arrived at home this night, he felt empty and sad. It took him almost 2 years, to deal with Haley´s loss, and now, the first woman he opened his heart to was his new boss. Hotch felt like been slapped in his face. He felt also sorry for Jack. His little boy was talking about Billie constantly. Hotch realized for the first time, how lonely Jack was. He looked up to Billie and he liked her a lot. Hotch poured himself some whiskey and emptied the glass in one gulp. Hotch didn´t know, how to handle seeing Rose everyday, not touching her and not loving her.

Hotch and Rose were mistaken, about the door. Dave had upheld the discretion and pulled it shut. He grinned, the two of them wouldn´t have noticed a herd of elephants, walking through the office. He whistled as he stepped into the elevator.

"And so I would like to pass the word to Section Chief Rosslyn Baines," said William Drew, Director of the FBI, the next morning.

"Thank you, Director," Rosslyn said. Her calm voice was well heard in the large conference room of the BAU.

"Skeptical and doubtful looks. I´m used to them, you know? Maybe, some of you think, I´m too young or too ambitious. I can live with that, we have to get to know each other and it will take some time. But I´m willing to give you this time, as long as you´re also patient with me. You´ll find my way of leadership different from my predecessor´s, it´s important to me to support my staff in all aspects and matters. And I don´t wanna hide in my office. I´m quite aware, we´re short with personnel. Several teams are one or two Agent´s down, I´m trying to solve this problem. Meanwhile, don´t hesitate to involve me. As Director Drew already pointed out, I am a trained profiler and experienced field agent. My door is open, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your attention." Rosslyn said with a smile. The applause was restrained and cautious, but Rosslyn was satisfied.

She cast a quick glance to Hotch. His face showed no emotion at all and, as always, he had his arms crossed.

"What do you think?" Prentiss asked Reid.

He nodded, "She has taken the wind out of the sails of the doubters, that was clever. I guess, she will do her job well." Reid bit into a sandwich and took a sip of coffee.

"We are one of the teams that are short on personnel, will you ask for her help?" he asked Hotch.

"That's not my decision," Aaron said and left.

"Wow," Morgan said, surprised. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Garcia asked, who had just joined the gang.

"Hotch is already gone, baby girl," Derek gave the desired response.

"Already gone? Gone like left, like eloped?" Reid nodded.

"Well at least no one can claim he is kissing the new boss´ass", Garcia said prosaic.

Rosslyn was talking to some of her new employees. Of course, she had noticed that Hotch was already gone. She couldn´t blame him for this, but unfortunately she didn´t have that option. They had agreed to avoid any private contact. A nice euphemism for something, that broke Rosslyn´s heart into pieces. And how should she explain Billie that she could no longer see Jack? Her daughter immediately showered Jack with affection, which was unusual enough, Billie was more of the reserved kind of girl. Rosslyn began to realize that the price of success could sometimes be way too high.


	4. Grab your gear, Chief

**Ready for the next chapter? Here we go. Some reviews would be very nice, guys...**

The following weeks Hotch and Rosslyn had too much to do to extensively deal with their emotional life. Rosslyn was completely monopolized by conferences, meetings and budget planning, Hotch and the team were chasing UnSubs across the continent, like the serial killer´s had Rush Hour, Garcia pointed out.

"You look tired, Chief," Spencer dared to say one morning, as he met Rosslyn in the kitchenette, yawning extensively.

"You know how to make compliments, Dr. Reid," Rosslyn said.

Spencer froze instantly, he was looking for a handy excuse when he noticed that Rosslyn grinned. Reid grinned back involuntarily, Strauss would probably have shot him, for a remark like that. What was Hotch´s problem with Baines? The two of them almost ignored each other completely, only spoke to each other if it was really necessary and, the main thing, strictly avoided being alone with each other. Meanwhile, the entire department was already gossiping about the icy relationship between Section and Unit Chief.

It was like they tried to disperse any impression, they felt comfortable in their company. Reid found that remarkable.

"Dr. Reid? That was the fifth spoon of sugar in your coffee."

"That's okay, it helps me think."

"Seriously?" Rosslyn asked in astonishment, "would it help finding the missing $150,000 in my budget planning?" Spencer was about to say yes when Hotch came around the corner.

"Hotch did the planning for Strauss last year," he said instead.

"How much is missing?" Hotch asked.

"$150.000, roundabout" Rosslyn answered.

"You´re good, I missed $200,000", Hotch had to admit, "Shall I take a look? Within 15 minutes in my office?"

Rosslyn nodded a little hesitant, "all right."

Reid sat on his desk for five minutes and looked at Hotch's office.

"What are we looking at?" Derek asked, and sat down next to Reid.

"A theory," Reid said nebulous. "A theory? You kidding? In our office?"

"The Hotchner / Baines theory" Reid explained. The latter just entered the office of the former noticed.

"Sometimes I don´t know, what you´re up to, man. What do you expect? Oh, wait. Polar bears? It might be cold enough, in that office right now." Morgan joked, he had no idea what Reid meant.

Rosslyn took a deep breath before she entered Hotch's office.

"I guess, I've brought everything," she said as businesslike as possible and put the documents on the desk.

"How are you?" Hotch asked abruptly.

"I don´t think you wanna know, Aaron," she said slowly and sat down.

But Hotch already knew, how Rosslyn felt. Billie told him openly about the things, going on at home, when she visited Jack after her ballet lessons. Three times a week. Billie wasn´t allowed to do so, but as long as her Mum didn´t know... Billie took good care of Jack, she loved the little boy and for Jack Billie´s presence was like having a big sister. So Aaron didn´t have the heart to forbid them seeing each other. And sometimes seeing Billie gave Hotch the opportunity, to take part of Rosslyn´s life. A very small part, Hotch thought. He knew, Rose missed him, as much as he missed her. Hotch remembered her smell and her passion. So he and Billie had made a tacit agreement. Hotch didn´t mention Billie´s visits to Rose and Billie told him about her. Aaron almost despaired at the fact that it was so easy, he loved Rose and she loved him. And, on the other hand, as just as complicated. He smelled her perfume, _pure_ _poison_ by Dior. Gosh, Hotch thought, she was so close... he had just to reach out for her...kiss her...hold her...love her...

"Can we take care of the budget?" Rose asked.

Hotch nodded.

"So, what´s up with your theory, now?" Morgan wanted to know after some time.

"Did you see, she stopped and took a deep breath before she entered Hotch´s office?"

"Like she was trying to collect her feelings and emotions." Derek stated.

"I´m wondering, Morgan. Why would you pretend not to like someone, even though it is so?"

"I´d never do such a stupid thing, kiddo."

"And if you had no choice?"

"Everyone has a choice, pretty boy ... unless the relationship is inappropriate," Morgan said, and suddenly understood. "We never talked about this, Reid. Ok? It´s none of our business, Spencer."

Reid nodded, he had no intention to put someone in trouble, he just hated puzzles, he couldn´t solve.

Three hours later, with some not so hurting cut´s here and there, the financial resources were even. Rosslyn had lost jacket and stilettos, she sat with her legs drawn on one of Hotch´s chairs. Her skirt was ruck up a bit, so Morgan could see that she was wearing stockings, a bit of lace flashed from under her skirt. Aaron's jacket was hanging over his chair, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, but the mandatory tie was still hanging in place. Derek was offered a surprisingly relaxed image, as he entered Hotch's office.

"Hey, we´re getting out on time today, we wanna hit Da Bruno, it´s Rossi´s time to pay. The invitation includes you, Chief," Morgan said, stepping on thin ice.

"Oh Lord, you shouldn´t waste your little free time by spending it with your boss," Rosslyn refused.

Morgan and Hotch's cell buzzed at the same time. "Garcia," Hotch said. "Conference Room, now," and after a pause, "come along, Chief," Aaron decided spontaneously.

Penelope was waiting in the small meeting room and opened her eyes wide, as Rosslyn and Hotch entered the room together, had global warming hit the BAU? Garcia looked questioningly at Derek, who shrugged.

"There are problems in Montana. The last five years prom queens were killed in Frenzy." Garcia let the victims light up on the big flat screen.

"Alice Campbell, Claire Phillips, Prue Hart, Melanie Johnson and Ivy Hicks."

"Five years and five vic´s? Why didn´t we hear about that earlier?" Rosslyn wanted to know.

"Frenzy has got a new sheriff this year, I guess, he doesn´t wanna start his term with a 6th victim." Garcia said. "The girls were last seen at the prom and someone killed them the same night," Garcia shook slightly, "according to the coroner with an ax."

"They were literally slaughtered," Hotch said, "our UnSub must be incredibly angry."

"Furious" Prentiss added.

"And their escort remain untouched?" Rosslyn asked.

"Yes, boss" Garcia confirmed, "it is always the belle of the ball. Most popular girl in High school, two of them were elected representative speakers, Hart and Hicks."

"No one is always everybody´s darling", Rossi interjected, "everyone has skeletons in his closet."

" All right, we'll discuss the rest on our flight. Garcia, we need a tablet for the Chief. You got a go-bag?" Hotch turned to Rosslyn.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" was the reply and Morgan grinned, sexy and she had a quick tongue. No wonder Hotch liked her, Morgan thought.

45 minutes later they all sat in the jet. Rosslyn had changed her designer costume into a dark blue jeans and a burgundy red, slim-cut blouse, her stilettos were replaced by sneakers. She was dressed exactly like any other Agent, her weapon on her belt. To Hotch, she looked somehow strange. He didn´t know her like that, he knew the loving mother and the passionate woman, he made love to in her office. The woman, that left a fingernail track on his back and that let her desire run unrestrained free. He didn´t know the tough agent, sitting next to him.

Rosslyn delved into Garcia's info on the tablet.

"Chief?" Rossi said from aside and handed her a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Agent Rossi. But I would be grateful if you´d stop calling me Chief. It´s Baines, or Rose, if you like. I'm here as reinforcement, I don´t wanna play boss here. Agent Hotchner is Unit Chief, I´ve got no problem in following orders."

"Well, Baines, what do you think about the murder weapon?" Prentiss asked.

"My first impression? Destructive, brutal. On the other hand, this is Montana, probably each citizen has an ax under the mattress and knows, how to handle it, so I don´t think that we can narrow down the possible perpetrator by the murder weapon. What concerns me more is what Rossi has said earlier. The prom queen at my High School was a scheming, selfish bitch. Maybe it's not about the individual girls, but about the queen as a symbol."

"Then our first victim, Alice Campbell is the stresser?" Hotch asked, "that would be a very early profile, and it indicates, our UnSub is female?"

"Not necessarily," Morgan said, "maybe it´s someone she dumped, or someone who´s sister or daughter was hurt by Campbell."

Several hours later, they landed on the small airstrip near Frenzy, Montana. They were welcomed by Sheriff Buckland, a very motivated young police officer who was visibly relieved when they arrived. He drove to the community center with the team. "I'm sorry, our Sheriff´s station only consists 3 rooms and a cell, so I thought you were repealed in the community center at best. We have tried to organize everything Miss Garcia has told us. There are ISDN connections and fax machines."

"We´ll have everything we need, Sheriff Buckland. So don´t worry. "Hotch calmed the young man.

" Dr. Reid and Agent Baines would like to talk to Alice Campbell´s parents, the Agents Rossi and Prentiss will do the interviews at the High School. "

In the evening they all met for a briefing in the small hotel where the sheriff had placed them.

"According to Campbell's parents, Alice was an angel who never harmed anyone." Reid was the first to talk.

"But this is contrary to what we have found out at school," Prentiss replied, "in the director´s opinion, and I quote, Alice Campbell, a sneaky carrion and a first class ego-maniac, quote end. Moreover, she was hanging around with a girl named Kate Watson"

"The Campbell´s told us about Watson, the girls were like twins," Rosslyn added. "And the Watson's moved to Jackson's Landing, after Alice´s death. Very hasty, I had the impression."

"Someone panicked," Morgan concluded.

"You may look at it, this way. Garcia has texted me the Watson´s address in Jackson's Landing, Reid and I could pay them a visit, tomorrow." Rosslyn suggested, looking at Hotch.

He nodded, "Rossi and Prentiss talk to the other parents, Morgan and I are going to interview former Sheriff Spade."

The space in the hotel was very limited, the team had to form pairs. Rosslyn shared a room with Emily. Knowing, Aaron was so close, made her nervous and jittery.

"If you want, you can first one into the bathroom, I have to take a walk around the block," she offered Prentiss and reached for her cigarettes. Rosslyn left the room and sat down on a little bench at the porch of the hotel. She took a cigarette from the pack and snapped her lighter.

"That's not very exemplary, Chief," Hotch said quietly from behind, out of the darkness.

"Oh my gosh," Rosslyn made a little frightened hop to the side.

"I wouldn´t have to smoke if I had sex," she said, frustrated.

"Rose," Hotch stroked her cheek, "I'm sorry."

"What for? You slept with me?"

" No, Rosie. That we can´t be together, love."

Hotch replied and went back to his room. Rosslyn slipped out a very angry "fuck" and she fired their tobacco products in a high arc into the next bush. Aaron and Rose hoped, independently of each other, that this night might be the only one that they had to spend so close wall to wall.


	5. Rules, sense or nonsense?

The next morning, Rosslyn and Reid were on their way to Jackson´s Landing. Rose didn´t sleep a single minute, that night and her mood was, well..let´s call it not so good. Reid had become quite pale, while Rose was driving.

"Sunday drivers!" Rosslyn scolded and overtook the car in front of her in a breakneck pace.

"Ma'am, please. I would like to arrive in one piece", Spencer said, trying desperately to cling to the door handle. His boss drove like, Spencer was looking for a more appropriate term for the one he had in mind, but she drove like a lunatic. Apparently she had only one pedal, the rightmost.

"I´m driving too fast for you, Dr. Reid?" Rosslyn asked and slowed down a bit.

"Thank you," Reid said relieved, "you drive worse than Morgan, I didn´t think that was possible. Statistically, 73% of accidents are caused by driving too fast." Reid could not resist pointing this out, but Baines did not seem to be upset in the least.

"How many are caused because of annoying passenger´s?"

Spencer just put on to answer, when he realized, Rosslyn was pulling his leg. Her hearty laughter filled the SUV and his queasy feeling was blown away, instantly. Reid felt good in her company and suddenly had pity on her and Hotch. If his guess was correct, and Spencer knew it was, it had to be hard to keep the distance and separate the feelings from work.

"What´s bothering you, Spencer?" Rosslyn asked as she noticed the pensive look of her agent.

"Rules," Reid said.

"Rules? In general or in particular?"

"I wonder when rules are useful and when not. And if you can tolerate breaking the rules, if that serves a good purpose," Reid oracled.

"Aha," Rosslyn said, "and can you tolerate it? I mean, rules are the scaffolding that keep our society together."

"Sometimes the needs of individuals or a few outweigh the needs of many", Reid made a slight modification of a movie quotation.

Rosslyn giggled, "Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock."

Hotch and Morgan were heading towards ex-sheriff Spade.

"Baines is doing pretty good, don´t you think? Smart and pretty, I´m wondering if she is in a relationship. What do you think, what´s her type of guy?"

Derek decided to start a small trial balloon. Hotch muttered something unintelligible and threw Morgan an unfriendly look. Derek thought, it might be better to change the subject.

"Can you imagine, sitting on a mountain of corpses and just ignore it? How incompetent can a sheriff be?" Morgan asked.

Hotch shrugged. "We´ll find out, I suppose." After a short time they reached the isolated house of the former sheriff. His pick-up was standing in the driveway. Aaron knocked loudly, "Mr. Spade?" There was no response from inside.

"Mr. Spade, Agent´s Hotchner and Morgan, we´re with the FBI, we would like to talk to you!" Hotch repeated.

"I´ll take a look around the house," Hotch said, and left Derek at the front door.

Morgan touched the door handle. "Hotch! The door is open!" Almost automatically Hotch grabbed his gun and walked back towards Morgan.

"Any response from Hotch?" Reid wanted to know.

"Not at all, something from Morgan?"

"Neither," Reid was getting nervous. Rosslyn and Reid were back on their way to Frenzy and this time Reid had nothing against the driving style of his boss. Kate Watson had unpacked, the agents had left her no choice.

Alice Campbell and Kate Watson picked a timid girl named Eve as their victim, they bullied her in any possible way. The mobbing culminated at the evening of the school ball, Alice convinced her that she was going to be prom queen, she put Eve on stage and started to harass her with ugly, hurting words, she made jokes about her dress and suddenly took a knife and cut Eve´s dress, presenting her bare naked to her classmates, mercilessly.

When Kate Watson told the story, Rose felt like wanting to slap that girl. Kate still had no sense of guilt, Eve was fat and silly, Kate stated, she deserved this. Even Reid found no words for this.

The desperate Eve tried to hang herself as a result of this, and was found by her father, last-minute. Eve wasn´t able to cope with what had happened, she was hospitalized and since then, she spent her days in a sanatorium, as Garcia had found out.

Her father didn´t lose a word about what happened to his daughter, he continued doing his job in Frenzy, like none of this ever happened, his job as the local sheriff. So it was no wonder that the victim´s had followed him like lambs to the slaughter, who distrusted law enforcer.

"Still no service," Reid said.

Morgan and Hotch entered the house with weapons drawn. "Mr. Spade?" Morgan tried it again, they groped their way from room to room. After a few minutes it was clear, Spade was not in the house.

"The barn?" Morgan asked Morgan and Hotch nodded. The two of them went cautiously to the shed. Hotch opened the door. Spade sat in the middle of the barn, with a confused look and the ax in his arms.

"Sheriff Spade, I´m Agent Hotchner, I´m with the FBI, put the ax down."

Aaron tried to talk the former sheriff out of this.

"They deserved it," Spade said. "My little girl has almost killed herself because of those bitches. You know, what they did to her? They're all the same, devils in dresses, you know? Doing unspeakable things to innocent girls."

"Ivy Hicks was a nice girl," Hotch replied, still aiming at Spade. "Put that ax down, Spade. I don´t wanna shoot you."

"You will eventually have to do," Spade said, raising his ax. Morgan and Hotch pulled the trigger the same time.

"Oh, thank God, at last," Rosslyn exclaimed, as a powerful "Hotchner" sounded from the car kit.

"Aaron, it's Spade, do you hear me? Campbell and Watson drove his daughter to commit suicide. You must be careful when you get to catch him."

"Spade is going to kill no one anymore, we have him," Hotch said. "I´m all right," he added, Hotch had noticed the worry in Rosslyn´s voice.

"Right, We'll see you later at the hotel," Rose said, at ease.

During dinner at the hotel , the team was discussing the case again.

"We should care more about the inner life of young people," Prentiss said, "it can´t be possible, that two girls take control over a whole class, make them knuckle under and see bullying like a game. Is this, how today's youth behaves?"

Morgan grinned, "today's youth? How old are you again, Prentiss?"

"You know what I mean, Morgan." Emily punched Morgans thigh.

"How old is your daughter, Chief?" Rossi wanted to know.

"Billie will be 15 in 2 weeks, I challenged her a lot, with moving to DC, but I guess, she feels quite well at school now. She´s talking constantly about a guy named Kevin, who is 2 grades above her, I hope this is just a harmless crush and she isn´t about to do some nonsense. Doing stupid things is running in our family, my younger sister, Florence, always get´s in trouble, unexpectedly, needless to say. And me? Well, I did some very stupid things in my past, things I don´t regret, I guess. But I´m not gonna confess, right now", Rose started to laugh, "Corinne is the straight one, she is my youngest sister."

"So there is three of you?" Morgan asked.

Rose nodded. "Flo and Rinna are my half sisters. My Mom died in a car crash, when I was 6. My father married again, Marie. She is french and such a lovely person, she never made me feel like being a step child. She loves me with all of her heart and so do I."

Rosslyn sighed softly, "as much, as you try to protect your child, you can´t wrap them in cotton wool. You can show them your trust and your affection and hope, that everything turns out to be ok. So you should think twice if you want to have children or not," Rosslyn said with a smile, that made it quite clear that she never would give away Billie, for nothing in this world.

Hotch made a mental note to have a serious conversation with Billie, about 17-year-old boys. He watched Rosslyn unremarkable, her little quirk, clamping a strand of hair behind her ear and the smile that almost always played around her mouth. Things I don´t regret, he thought. He didn´t reget it, either. Hotch had to take a deep breath, he remembered how it felt to touch Rosslyn and how she tasted and how she looked at him, like now. She had noticed Hotch´s look instantly and held his gaze with her´s. Tight, Rosslyn wanted him so much, his presence caused her almost physical pain. The tension was palpable at the table, even Reid was feeling the sexual tension right now, he had never seen that look on Hotch´s face. Something between lust, passion, tenderness and love.

Spencer realized in that moment, he wanted someone who was looking at him just as Hotch looked at Rosslyn. Reid stood up and broke the spell at the table.


	6. Billie has to think it over

On their flight back home Hotch and Rosslyn again played their well-known game _as much distance as possible. _Rosslyn was sitting in the front section of the jet, Hotch in the rear.

"You want to talk about it?" Rossi asked, sitting down next to Hotch.

"About what?"

"About you and Rosslyn, it´s so obvious, Aaron", Dave suggested softly.

"Me and Rosslyn is something that does not exist, Dave," Hotch said, just as quietly.

"You cannot lock your feelings in a room and throw away the key. It´s not that easy, Aaron," Rossi stated.

"She's my boss, David. It´s completely irrelevant, whether I love her or not." Hotch ended the conversation.

"Was a weird mood last night at the table, don´t you think, kiddo?" Morgan said to Spencer.

"Hm"

"Oh, come on, pretty boy, what´s on your mind, keeping you busy all the time?"

Derek did not want to give up so easily, he wanted to know what kept his pretty boy thinking. Reid looked around before he spoke to Derek. Emily slept diagonally opposite, Rossi and Hotch led a quiet conversation and the Chief was engrossed in a medieval tome.

"I didn´t think that I would miss..,um..., I mean, not that I have that much experience, but how Hotch and the Chief looked at each other, yesterday. Like they were having sex without touching each other? I want that too, um, I mean...not to get, gosh."

"Get laid by Hotch?" Derek helped him out, grinning widely.

Reid was turning a bit redder, if that was even possible, "Morgan," Reid said with honest indignation, "You always have to be that straight?"

Derek grinned briefly and then was serious again. "I know what you mean. Looking for someone, that loves you unreservedly. That´s not unusual, kiddo, it´s what we all want. Except, that isn´t so easy in our case. Our job is a relationship killer, and even if you meet the person you can love, that does not mean that everything will be alright.

Look at Romeo and Juliet, Rosslyn is staring for minutes at the same page, and I don´t wanna talk about Hotch, just take a look at him. Things.. are not just black or white, Reid, but it is up to us what we make out the gray shades, pretty boy."

Morgan was right, Rosslyn really stared at the same page, for a long time. She felt sick in her stomach and she felt like crying most likely, but for nothing in the world she wanted to admit this weakness here. She reached for her cell phone and sent a text message.

_we need to talk _  
_ Yes _  
_ Security Conference in SF, tomorrow and Saturday _  
_ Sunday evening, my place? _  
_ Sunday! _

Hotch and Rosslyn put their phones away almost simultaneously.

"You really have to go to this stupid conference, Mum?" Billie asked.

"Honey, I'm one of the main speakers, I cannot just say, hey man, I´m pissed off with everything!"

Billie giggled as Rosslyn tried to be a cool mom. But actually, it wasn´t too wrong for Billie, to know, her Mom was out-of-town. San Francisco was very far away. Saturday evening was supposed to be _the_ evening with Kevin. She had thought about that again and again and was convinced that this was the right thing to do. He was older and had experience, he would probably know how to do it right. And she also wanted to finally have a voice. Almost every girl in her class was talking about having sex, Billie felt left behind. What Billie entirely led out of consideration was the fact that most of her classmates simply grossly exaggerated, with what they had supposedly done. Billie was sure her mother would give her at least a life sentence under house arrest, when she knew about it, she was not necessarily friendly with Kevin, she thought he was too old and also a player.

"Ruth will be here, just don´t make a fuss. You´re still with me, daughter?"

"Ye-hes," Ruth was the nanny, who stepped in when Rose was out-of-town. Rosslyn hugged Billie again, before she left.

"I love you, honey."

"Me too, Mum," Billie said.

Saturday morning Billie stood in front of Hotch´s door and knocked. Jack wanted Billie necessarily to join them on their visit to Natural History Museum and his Dad did not mind. Hotch had a feeling that Rosslyn would be very happy if someone kept an eye on Billie, as long as she was not there.

"Buckle up, Billie," Hotch said in the car.

Billie grinned and said, "Yes, sir," she still called Hotch "sir," even though Hotch had told her, she hadn´t to. However Billie´s "Yes, sir," always sounded a bit like "Yes, Dad," just because Billie looked at Hotch that way. Billie was surprised about that fact, Hotch was strict, he gave clear instructions of which he also expected that they were followed, so unlike her real dad. But she had respect for him because he had respect for her, something she never got from her real father. At home, her father always allowed everything, and Billie liked that, until she got behind it, Richard Baines was simply not interested in what she was doing, at all. As long as Billie could remember, she had tried to obtain her father´s recognition, completely without success. With Hotch she realized, that she just got the recognition, attention and love, without having anything to do for it. It happened that Hotch was there when she visited Jack. Then he took an interest in her life, wanted to know, what was going on in her ballet classes, he remembered everything, she told him, even the story about the new, silly girl in her class, or asked how certain test's were going and he always asked about her Mum. Billie told him, she heard her mother crying sometimes at night. Hotch and Jack had become so important for Billie, at the moment she wished nothing more than Hotch and her mother found a way to be together.

"You´re already excited Jack?" Billie turned back around.

"Yes, I am. Can we look at the dinosaurs, first?" Jack's enthusiasm was obvious.

"We can look at what ever you want, Jack."

Aaron smiled and drove off. Hotch laughed a lot that day at the museum, Billie just tried to imitate a T-Rex and did look more like a stork in a salad, as she tried to catch giggling Jack.

"So nice to see that your children get along so well," said an elderly lady who had met the three of them often and clearly had fun with looking at the "family."

"Mines were like cat´s and dog´s at that age. Your girl does ballet, right?"

Hotch nodded, he saw no needs to mention that Billie wasn´t his daughter. "Three times a week." he answered.

"She is talented and she is so pretty. You must be very proud, Sir."

"I am", Hotch agreed and the lady went back to her husband, who was waiting for her.

Billie danced with Jack in her arms back to Hotch, "I bet Mum is bored to death in San Francisco."

"I'm so hungry, Dad, can we grab something to eat?" Jack asked and yawned violently.

"Maybe you'd better go to bed?" Hotch asked.

"I´m not tired!" Jack yawned again.

Aaron had decided to go home. Hardly in the car, Jack was asleep already.

"May I ask you something? Something very personal," Billie asked cautiously.

"What do you want to know?"

"You and Mum," Billie did not know how to ask her question best. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. How similar she is to Rosslyn, Hotch thought and smiled slightly.

"How do you know that you´re in love my mother?"

The question seemed to be very important to Billie and Aaron knew why. He decided to be honest.

"When I look at your mom, Billie, then every time I see her, is like the first time. My heart is on short stop and when it starts beating again, then it just doesn´t beat, it rages and hammers, and I would like to have her close to me, day and night. Do you feel about Kevin that way?"

Billie said nothing.

"If you don´t, then you should think again about whether you're really ready to make such an important step, you know? Having sex on the back seat of a car isn´t as romantic as you might think. And you can´t compare it to making love to the right person. You are so young, Billie, you have all the time in the world, sweetheart."

Hotch hoped to be clear enough. He felt like locking her up in her room, not letting her out again in her mid-thirties.

Billie remained silent until Aaron dropped her off at home. She didn´t have such feelings for Kevin, like Hotch had for her mother. She liked him and he looked good, sure thing, but was that enough to sleep with him? No, Billie thought suddenly, that isn´t enough for me.

"Hotch? Thank you," Billie said, hugging and kissing him on the cheek before she left.

Aaron watched her thoughtfully. It was important to him that Billie took the right decision, as important as it would have been him with his own daughter. How could he so quickly develop so much paternal affection for Billie? And so much love for her mother? To hear how Rose was crying at night was terrible. Rossi was right, they couldn´t lock their feelings in a room and throw away the key. We will have to find a solution, he thought.

**A/N some hard times are coming up for Billie, the next chapter.**


	7. Kevin is not nice

**A/N I´m not sure about the rating of this one so I put it up. It´s not to graphic, I guess. But a bit dark**.

"So, now you know the whole story. How we resolve this, without any one of us must fall into his sword?"

Hotch poured Rossi another brandy and sat down again. He had decided to bring Dave into the loop and ask for his advice. He loved Rose, it was not exaggerated when he told Billie that his heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw her, it really did. Haley's death had left a gaping wound in Hotch, his feelings for Rosslyn began to close the wound again.

"I don´t think you need to be that pessimistic. The way I see it, the Bureau owes you a lot. And Rosslyn is a former protegé of Gideon, which is also not without weight. On the other hand, it is nobody's business, what you do in your spare time, if you don´t misuse Rosslyn´s office again," Dave added.

"You closed the door?"

Rossi grinned, "nothing I had not seen before, already."

"Well, I hope, you enjoyed watching." Hotch took a sip of his drink when someone knocked, knocked violently.

"It´s me, Billie", Hotch heard pure desperation.

"Billie?" Hotch opened his door and was shocked. Billie looked terrible. She had a split lip, an injury at her forehead and was deathly pale. Her hair was tangled, her shirt was ripped and she was shaking like a leaf.

"God, Billie, what happened, Kevin did that?"

Billie nodded, "Kevin isn´t nice," she said, then she collapsed.

"I´m gonna kill that son of a bitch," Hotch growled and put Billie on the couch, Rossi gave her some brandy.

"We need the colleagues from the Washington PD and an ambulance, Aaron," Rossi said, completely shocked and reached for his cell phone.

Ten minutes later, both, the police and the ambulance had arrived. Billie sat on Hotch's couch and didn´t say a single word. The brandy she had, brought back a bit of color to her face, but she was still shaking uncontrollably. The doctor tried to take care of her injuries, Hotch showed his badge and spoke with the detective.

"You know what happened, Agent Hotchner?"

"Billie has hardly spoken, but she has mentioned a name, Kevin, they go together, his last name I do not know. Her mother would know, but Mrs. Baines is in San Francisco at the moment."

"How is your relationship with Miss Baines?"

"I´m with the BAU, Det. Jones. Rosslyn Baines is Section Chief, Billie is her daughter. She is like a big sister for my son, she visits him very often. We spent today at the Natural History Museum, I dropped Billie at home about 5 p.m. A nanny takes care of her, when Mrs. Baines is out-of-town. We talked about this... bastard in the car, I had the feeling that she wasn´t aware of her true feelings about him, and I advised her, not to rush things."

Det. Jones took notes, an unpleasant story. The mother, a bigwig in the FBI, this case could become political, no one at W PD was keen on this cases. And Hotchner made the impression, he´d shoot this Kevin without batting an eyelash. Jones had not the shadow of a doubt. He made a mental note, to catch this guy first.

"Who are this people, Daddy?"

Jack woke up by the noises and wanted to know what was going on. "Is Billie hurt, Daddy? Someone hurt Billie?"

Jack's anxious question woke Billie from her stupor. She butted the doctor away and stood up.

"I just fell down, Jacko. No need to worry, kiddo. Go back to bed, okay?" She hugged Jack firmly and went to his room with him.

"At least she's talking now," Rossi said, relieved a bit.

"Rosslyn didn´t answer her cell, I left a message on her mailbox." Rossi explained and Hotch nodded.

"We have to take Miss Baines to the hospital, she is in shock," the paramedic said.

Hotch nodded again, "I´m going with her." Someone had to explain to Billie, what was going to happen now.

"I´m only talking to Hotch," Billie said, almost inaudible, when she came back into the living room.

"That's ok, Billie, tell me, what happened?" Aaron sat down on the couch with Billie, putting his arm around her.

"I met him earlier, we h-had an appointment. I knew, what he was expecting to happen this evening, but I didn´t wanna be unfair and told him immediately, I wouldn´t ..., you know, I've thought about it, what you said in the car. And you were so right, Hotch."

Billie sobbed loudly, "He pushed me in his pick-up and drove off. I wanted to get out, but Kevin, Kevin grinned and told me I shouldn´t be that prudish, other girls were not so squeamish."

Billie faltered, she couldn´t talk anymore.

"Take your time, Billie, but try to remember everything," Hotch said.

"But I don´t want to!" Billie could not stop crying.

"You have to, without your testimony, we cannot arrest him." Hotch hated himself for this sentence, right now. That was Billie, not an unknown witness. He took her hand and she took a deep breath.

"He said that others are not so squeamish and were eager to...to spread their legs for him. Kevin is such an asshole. Then he stopped suddenly and my face hit the dashboard." Hotch crunched his teeth, fucking bastard.

"He pulled down his pants and he groped me and he ripped my shirt and then he came, on my jeans ... that was so disgusting, I'll never wear this one again."

Hotch looked at the semen stains on Billie´s pants and took a deep breath.

"What happened next, Billie?"

Billie trembled, "he touched himself, his uh .." Billie was lost for words. "I could get out of his car, when he was, um, distracted. I got a taxi stopped and drove to you," Billie concluded her statement. Rossi had just felt the need of another brandy. Jones followed her Statement with shorthand and asked for something important.

"Did he rape you, Miss Baines?"

"No, but he squeezed and pinched my breast, he opened the zipper and tried to pull my jeans down," Billie sobbed, "then he pushed his hand into my panties and, oh God, I was s-so s-scared, I never thought Kevin was that kind of guy."

Billie began to tremble again and Hotch pulled her close.

"What was he doing with his hand, Miss Baines? You have to tell, I´sorry."

Jones looked visibly uncomfortable by asking this question, but had no choice. Billie tried to put herself together.

"He fingered me," she said flatly.

"Son of a bitch," Hotch cursed. Billie was crying and sobbing, she clung to Hotch.

"It´s gonna be okay, sweetheart." Hotch kissed her hair and cradled her softly.

"But it´s not over yet, Billie, do you hear me? We´ll have to go to the hospital, we need photos, your clothes have to be processed and...I´m so sorry, Billie. There has to be a medical examination."

Billie´s eye´s widened in horror, she just realized, what Hotch was talking about.

"I, I, oh please Hotch, don´t you leave me," she begged anxiously.

"I won´t, Billie. Never. Although your mum would kill me," Hotch tried a little joke to cheer her up a bit. "Rossi will stay with Jack."

Billie lost her nerves in the emergency room, completely. She fought vociferously against the doctor. She didn´t protest against the photos, but when the doctor asked her to put her feet on the stirrups, Billie started yelling.

"Nobody touches me! Where is my mum? Oh please, I want my mom!"

Hotch heard her crying and screaming from behind the curtain and couldn´t stand it any longer.

"Billie, I'm coming in now," he announced. He sat down at the head of the bed, with his back to the doctor.

"You'll just look and focus at me now," he said. Hotch stroked Billie´s cheek and took her hand.

"I know, you would now prefer your mom, but you're not alone. I'm not going to lie and tell you, this isn´t bad, or that I know what you're going through, but Dr. Anderson will be as careful and as quick as possible and she´s trying not to hurt you, sweetheart, ok?"

Billie squeezed Hotch's hand, "make her stop," Billie whispered when the doctor touched her lower abdomen.

"Already over, you´ve done great, Billie." Dr. Anderson said after a short while.

"Can I talk to you?" she said to Hotch.

He nodded, "I'll be right back.", he went with the doctor.

"You did great, also. I'm sorry your daughter had to go through this, but she was lucky. He just touched her and there were no other traces of semen. She has to take the morning-after pill, just to be on the safe side, he touched her, after he ejaculated. She should stay here overnight, but I am afraid she won´t."

"She don´t have to, I´ll take care of her. But Billie isn´t my biological daughter," Hotch said.

Dr. Anderson smiled, "she don´t has to be. You treated her like a father, that´s way more important than any biological relationship. She will be in good hands with you, I guess."

After a short consultation with Billie´s nanny Ruth, who almost dropped dead when she learned what had happened, Hotch took Billie back home, again.

Rossi was dozing in a chair, but was immediately wide awake when Hotch and Billie came back. "How are you?" Dave asked Billie, she shrugged.

"Can I take a shower, Hotch?"

"You don´t have to ask, Billie. Fresh towels are in the closet behind the door, but I forgot the fabric softener, they are pretty tough."

A very brief smile flashed over Billie´s face. "Mum always forgets, too." She closed the bathroom door behind herself.

Hotch slumped down on the couch and put his feet on the table.

"The hospital was pure horror, Billie has lost it completely," he said, visibly shaken to Rossi, "I don´t know if I can talk to a victim of an assault ever again, without thinking of Billie."

Hotch ran his hands over his face. "Anything from Rosslyn?"

Rossi nodded, "she is in a private jet right now, it´s supposed to arrive at 6 a.m. at Ronald Reagan. Shall I stay here, or will you manage it by yourself?"

"You've already done enough, Dave, thank you. Go home and get some sleep."

"Well," Rossi turned around at the door, again. "And Aaron? You were great with Billie."

Hotch walked into the bed room and tried to find something suitable to wear for Billie. She was wearing hospital clothes, her own had been withheld by the forensics, he could imagine she wanted to wear something else. He found an old sweat suit in the depths of his closet, he used fabric softener on the suit, but he had washed it too hot. Doing the laundry isn´t my kind of business, Hotch thought.

He took his bedding and put it on the couch.

"Billie?" Hotch knocked at the bathroom door, "I got you something to wear and put it on my bed, you can sleep there, also. I'll take the couch."

A few minutes later, Billie appeared in the new outfit. She looked better and more calm than in the hospital and that calmed down Aaron, who was totally messed up, internally.

"Not quite your style, right?" Hotch asked.

"Never mind," she said, "is my mom coming?"

Aaron nodded, "on her way."

"She's disappointed in me?"

"Disappointed? Billie, no. Certainly not, your mother loves you. You tried to do the right thing, you didn´t know, what Kevin had in mind."

"But my mum's FBI, as her daughter I should have known that, I was so stupid."

"Look at it this from the other side, you'll never make such a mistake again," Hotch replied. He hugged Billie softly and kissed her forehead.

"Go to bed now if you cannot sleep, then just get some rest, okay?"

Billie nodded, "what you did today, I don´t know how I ever make this up to you."

"You don´t have to, Billie, it's okay."

"You did that, because you like me?" she asked shyly.

Aaron nodded.

"I also like you, Hotch. A lot." Billie said softly.


	8. Doubts

**Here we go again, Rose has some news, but no idea how to spread them.**

Rosslyn sat in a cab and kneaded her hands. Rossi had indeed assured her, that Billie was ok. She had escaped with no more than a fright, and Hotch touchingly took care of her, but that could not prevent Rosslyn´s thoughts from running wild.

She put herself in question. She couldn´t even take care of Billie, so what about the little one she was expecting? Since yesterday Rose knew for sure, she wasn´t only responsible for Billie any more. The fact, that her night with Aaron had consequences, made Rose speechless. She had consistently ignored any evidence, it just couldn´t be. But her syncope at the lectern and the subsequent visit to the doctor after that, made any attempt to continue to bury her head in the sand useless. Rose had to face the clear facts, that lay on the table. Nearly forty, new job and pregnant by her employee. She fluctuated between panic, despair and joy, Rose felt pretty overwhelmed. An abortion was out of question for Rose, she had not even thought about it. The joy outweighed the panic and despair, by far. Rose thoughtfully stroked her belly, it wasn´t much to see, right know, but that would change. Soon. She had to talk to Aaron, Rose loved him and was sure he loved her too, but a message like this?

Richard, her ex-husband, had made massive accusations earlier on the phone and again accused her of being a career-obsessed bra-burner. Rosslyn was angry about him, Richard had no right to be upset, he had been never really interested in Billie, finally, she was just a girl and you couldn´t hand down a construction company to a girl. Rosslyn remembered how disappointed and contemptuous Richard was, when she gave birth to Billie´s and how much he had hurt her with his behaviour. Rosslyn had put her life in the game to have the baby. She was still dealing with the serious injuries she took, while arresting the Chelsea Strangler.

Rose's father Charles had thrown Richard a fierce right hook in the hospital, no one was going to hurt his beloved daughter and his new grand-daughter Isabelle. Everyone, hurting his little girls had to answer to him, straight away.

Gideon came to her mind, he never understood why she wanted to marry Richard so necessarily, in hindsight Rosslyn also didn´t understand. It had all been different, back then, when Jason left her hang out to dry. And if she interpreted the file correctly, Dr. Reid also had this experience with Gideon.

"Miss?" the taxi driver spoke to Rosslyn for the second time, "here we are."

"Of course, excuse me, how much is it?"

"75, Miss"

"75?" Rosslyn repeated, "you´re kidding, wanna sell me a piece of your cab?"

"I´m not responsible for the tariffs, Miss."

The mantra of every taxi driver, she shook her head, but paid and put something on top of it.

"Thank you, Miss, have nice day," she jumped out of the cab and a few minutes later she stood before Hotch's apartment.

Aaron opened on the first knock, he had been expecting her, he knew how long it took from the Ronald Reagan National Airport to Georgetown.

"Where is she?", was the first thing Rosslyn asked.

"In the bedroom, but come on in, first," Aaron let her in and showed her the way to his bedroom. Rose opened the door carefully, to take a look. Billie slept like a log in Hotch´s bed, Jack keeping her company, he was cuddling close to Billie.

"She's fine, Rose," Aaron said, pulling Rosslyn carefully back in the living room. Tears ran down her cheeks and she clung to Hotch. He held her and stroked her back until Rosslyn had calmed down a bit.

"Do you want some coffee?"

She nodded, "I've ruined your shirt." Rose looked at the traces of mascara, she left there. Hotch had to smile a little, "my shirt is not important, Rose, there is plenty of them im my closet."

He sat her on a chair and poured a cup of coffee from the kitchen. Rosslyn took a sip and frowned. "Gosh, I do hate coffee," she put the cup on the table.

"Am I a bad mother Aaron? Am I letting my child down when I go to a fucking conference, instad of staying at home? And I demolish her whole life to chase my demons, how selfish can anyone be? I should have stayed in Atlanta, it wouldn´t have happened, there."

Hotch sat in front of Rosslyn on the floor and grabbed her by her thighs, "stop this, don´t beat yourself up, it isn´t your fault. Things like this just happen, everywhere, Rosie. You said something very true in Frenzy, you cannot pack up your children in cotton wool. Don´t you think, I wouldn´t protect Jack from everything? Billie will make it. She is such a though chick, she is a lot like you."

Rosslyn sniffed. "You seem to know her very well, she is visiting you and Jack, isn´t she?"

Rose had put two and two together. Actually, it was clear that the unquestioning acceptance of the loss of contact between Rose and Hotch was not Billie´s kind of handling it. Billie had found her own way to deal with the situation.

"Always after her ballet classes, I couldn´t forbid her to come."

"Wimp" Rosslyn said, smiled and kissed Hotch. She couldn´t resist, she just had to feel his closeness and his warmth. He pulled her to the ground and kissed her passionately.

"Gosh, I missed you like hell and I want you so much, Rosie" Hotch whispered in her ear, Rosslyn could feel at her hip, he wasn´t kidding.

"O God, Aaron, we can´t. Not here, the children are sleeping next door."

"We could be quiet," Hotch said, his hands slipped under her blouse.

"Quiet? If you're doing this? "Rosslyn asked and gasped when his hand gently cupped her breast.

"Hi Billie´s Mum," Jack said sleepily, "what are you doing? Making a baby? Andy has told me, his mum and dad are trying to have one and do such things."

Jack was now very interested and sat down on the chair. Rosslyn had to laugh.

"He's your son, explain it," she sat down cross-legged and looked at Hotch just as interested as Jack.

Hotch cleared his throat, "we´re not trying to have a baby, Jack, in fact, we...um...we have, we have to take our clothes off, for this and we´re still dressed, so nothing is gonna happen, okay?"

Oh, you´re so wrong, Rosslyn thought, she rubbed her belly, sometimes it worked out almost fully dressed on a desk. Hotch was hoping Jack would be satisfied with that answer.

"Billie´s Mum is not dressed properly," he pointed to Rosslyn´s blouse that hung out of her pants, half-unbuttoned.

Rosslyn showed a cheeky grin, "Jack made a point." Hotch answered something you might understand as "Just you wait".

Billie redeemed Hotch from the precarious situation.

"Mum?"

"Honey," Rosslyn said, stood up, hugging and kissing her daughter violently.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry, Mum, you were right with Kevin," Billie sobbed.

"I would have preferred not to be right, my dear, he really didn´t hurt you?"

Billie shook her head, " Just a bit, Mum. I ran away, but I was scared, Mommy. He was so much stronger than me"

"Agent Morgan could teach you how to defend yourself, Billie", Hotch suggested and Rosslyn nodded.

" That's a pretty good idea, what do you mean, honey?"

"Is that the agent who was there last night?" Billie wanted to know.

"No, that was Dave Rossi."

There was a knock at the door.

"Your mobile breakfast service," Garcia said and Rosslyn opened the door. "Good morning to all of you, my furry friends. Rossi sends me, I´ve got some food."

"This is so good, I´m hungry like the wolf", Billie replied, she looked at the colorfully dressed bird that had just fluttered inside. "Penelope, right? My Mum told me about you."

Garcia nodded, "So first of all I must tell you, there are nice guys, named Kevin, then you should give me a hand to carry the food in the kitchen. I brought some tea for you, Chief," Garcia said and disappeared with Billie into the kitchen.

"Comprehensive care," Hotch grinned.

Garcia did not stay long, "I´m already gone, enjoy your breakfast, my darlings." She made her way through the door, almost crushing into Det. Jones. He showed his badge to Garcia and she nodded. "They´re inside, come on in."

"Agent Hotchner?" Jones asked as he walked into Hotch's apartment.

"Are you Det. Jones?", he was approached by a pretty, dark-haired woman, "I'm Rosslyn Baines. You arrested Kevin Miller?"

"Yes ma'am. He claims, however, he was only making fun."

"Fun? Did you take a good look at my daughter?"

Rosslyn´s tone was almost icy, but her eyes seemed to throw flashes.

"Let´s hear, what he has to say, Honey." Hotch tried to calm her down a bit and put his arm around her.

"Thank you, Agent Hotchner," Jones was relieved. Mum Baines was apparently more dangerous than replacement Dad Hotchner, the detective thought.

"The evidence is clear and so is your daughter´s testimony. He has no chance. Moreover, a witness has come forward who has seen your daughter was pushed into Miller's car. Miller will see the judge, as soon as possible, so don´t worry . I thought you would like to be personally informed about the progress of the investigation." Jones concluded his remarks.

"Then you put him behind bars?" Billie asked, who joined them.

"He already is, Miss Baines," Jones replied. "Good," she said, "then I can have something to eat now."

"Thank you, Detective," Hotch said.

"You´re welcome", Jones replied and left.

"Come on, let´s have some breakfast, Rose. Quick, Jack ist a fast eater, probably there are no leftovers." Hotch kissed Rosslyn and pushed her into the kitchen.

**So sorry, there may be writing mistakes, my proof-read writing is running mad, at the moment.**


	9. Southern Girls

Later that morning, Rosslyn and Billie were back home. Ruth was completely resolved and apologized again and again.

"It wasn´t your fault, I don´t check up on her all the time, either," Rose said, hugging Ruth shortly.

"Your ex-husband Richard called, he´s flying in from Atlanta, this afternoon and he want´s you to pick him up." Ruth said.

"Pick him up? Why would I do this? He can take a cab, like everyone else," Rosslyn was still mad at her ex, but made up her mind to remain as calm as possible. Richard would not let the opportunity pass, to wipe her out. His ego had not coped that Rosslyn wanted the divorce and he compensated this with very young ...ladies.

"I told the maid that I wanted to be picked up," Richard stated after his arrival, as expected, in a very bad mood.

"Oh, you did? Sorry, maybe I just didn´t hear it," Rosslyn said in an innocuous tone.

"Sure thing," he growled, "Where's Billie?"

"In her room, she takes a rest, she is exhausted."

"You´re responsible for her, why letting her hang around with a guy like this?"

"I didn´t let them go out, she crept out of the house, stealthily."

"Because you were not at home, like always! What was it this time? Kidnapping, serial killers or did you get laid? "

Rosslyn snorted, "how can you dare? I´m not the one, fucking herself through the local cheerleaders since our divorce! My reasons didn´t matter to you, anyway Richard, so don´t pretend it would be interesting for you now."

"You're right, I´m not interested in you, but I´m interested in my daughter, already."

"Since when?" Rosslyn became loud, too. "Since Billie was a little girl, you let her feel that nothing she does makes you happy. Why do you think she went to play baseball, or hunting with you? She wanted to be the boy, you always wanted. But you didn´t even realize that, no wonder everything always revolves around you!"

"Mum, let go," Billie said, who had heard the bickering and yelling in her room upstairs.

"It´s not Mum´s fault, she is the best mum a girl can have, father," she wisely chose the formal salutation. Hotch's loving and natural care for her, made Billie finally see her father in a different light. Richard Baines would never have come to mind, to take care of his daughter, like Hotch did. And Hotch was not even her real father. Her mother was right with what she was saying. Billie had always tried to draw her father´s attention and earned only indifference. Even when she moved with her mother to Washington, her father did not stop her.

"Why did you let me go to DC, you have not even asked me to stay with you. Why not? Tell me!"

Richard did not answer.

"That´s what I thought," Billy bitterly replied. She stood next to her mother. "You better leave, father," Isabelle Christine Baines said and made her mother very proud.

"You heard what Billie said."

Richard left without any further comment. They would regret this, Richard thought while standing on the pavement. Nobody was allowed to throw Richard Baines out of the house, this mother-daughter idyll made him sick.

Billie hugged her mother, "I love you Mum, we don´t need him," Billie said resolute.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Hotch came in the evening, Billie was almost her old self again.

"Jack want´s you to have something," Hotch said, handing her a pink plush-elephant.

"But this is Trudy, Jack never gives it to anyone," she marveled.

"Jack thought you might need it to fall asleep." Hotch smiled.

Billie was very moved and hugged Hotch fiercely. "I'm in my room and I´m wearing ear plugs, just for you to know," she added innocently. She knew exactly what Hotch and her mother had in mind and didn´t want to be in their way.

"What can I say, girls from the south," Rosslyn grinned and pulled Hotch close. "I do hope you also came to see me?"

"A little bit," Aaron said, stroking gently over her back. His hands made a short break on Rosslyn´s butt.

"Where were we this morning?" Hotch asked softly.

"Right here," Rosslyn said and kissed Hotch tenderly, "let's go upstairs, Aaron," she whispered, taking his hand.

Rosslyn's bedroom was a cozy place with a huge, fluffy carpet, white wooden furniture and a huge metal bed. Hotch's focus was admittedly on the bed, on which both were now. Aaron was on his back and Rosslyn sat astride his hips. She pulled her shirt over her head, unbuttoned Hotch's and made him gasp.

"Rose," his voice was rough, he cupped her buttocks and then wanted to open her bra, but Rosslyn shook her head.

"Don´t move," she said, "this moment you belong to me, entirely."

Her lips and her hair touched his chest, brushing over his nipples. Aaron held his breath, as Rosslyn gently nibbled. Hotch could feel her warm breath on his abdomen, her lips approached his belly, piece by piece. She undid his belt and freed him from all disturbing garments, Aaron moaned loudly and dug his hands into the sheets as he was aware of how Rose was going to show him her love.

Rose knew exactly what she was doing. Her lips wrapped Aaron's hardness and she gently ran her tongue over his tip. She didn´t want Hotch to hold back and soon he just gave up and surrendered.

"Oh God, Rosslyn," he gasped, "what are you doing merely?"

"Not good?" She giggled and made Hotch laugh, too.

"Girls from the south, right?"

Rosslyn nodded, "I´m right back", she quickly brushed her teeth and got undressed. As Rosslyn came into the bedroom again, Aaron had dozed off. She slipped to him under the covers. How peaceful and relaxed he looked, she gently touched his cheek.

"I love you Aaron Hotchner," she said.

"I love you too, Rosslyn Baines," a very sleepy echo was heard from Hotch. He put his arms around her and held her tightly. "I won´t let you go again, Rosie, no matter what," he said seriously and kissed her thoroughly. His hands went wandering and Rose trembled as he fondled her breasts and then slowly stroked her stomach and her rib side.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly, his hand touched her waist and he pushed her thighs apart a bit. Hotch was tender, he wanted to please her, previously she only had given him satisfaction. She opened her legs a little further and felt him at her most sensitive spot. He stroked and massaged her gently, explored her tightness with his fingers. Hotch noticed pleased, how Rose jerked and gasped, she let out a small, protesting cry, as he took his hand away. He penetrated her deeply, she was more than ready for him. Rosslyn's outcry was loud, she could not control herself as she was rolled over by her orgasm like a tsunami. Aaron moved into her, slowly, deep, demanding. Rose shouted and groaned every time she felt him. With a deep sigh, Hotch poured into her, and Rose was rolled over a second time. He wanted to withdraw from her, but Rosslyn wasn´t about to let him.

"Not yet" she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"I'm heavy, I´ll hurt you," Hotch said worriedly, but Rose did not care. She simply enjoyed the intimacy of the situation and fell asleep. Aaron turned to the side and a few minutes later he was asleep, too.

Aaron woke up before Rose and watched her sleep. She was breathing evenly, sometimes she snored a little bit. Hotch smiled and stroked her hair.

"Are you leaving?" she asked, half asleep.

"I have to, need to change my clothes before I go back into the office. You're sending Billie to school, today?"

Rosslyn stretched herself, "I do not know, maybe I'll keep her at home for a few days."

"I do not think that's necessary, she has become quite grown up," Hotch said.

"But she is still my little girl."

"Which is almost as tall as her Mum," Hotch replied and hugged Rose again before he got up and went into the adjoining bathroom. Her eyes followed him, he told her, that he loved her, but he doesn´t know about the baby, yet. Rose took a deep breath and touched her belly, it was much too early, how could she be that careless? But she wanted Aaron so much, there was no room for any consideration. She also stood up.

"I´m gonna tell your boss, you´re a little late today. I know her pretty well, she´ll understand," Rosslyn said as she stepped into the shower to Hotch.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hotch actually arrived in his office an hour later than usual. How could one fall in love with two, so different women, he thought. Making love with Haley was always a quiet, almost cautious affair, Hotch was never troubled by that fact, but Rosslyn simply took what she wanted and expected the same from him. The elevators "pling" tore him from his thoughts. Rossi was the first who crossed his path.

"Hey, how is Billie? Is she all right?"

"I saw her last night, she´s ok. Jack wanted me to hand her Trudy over."

"Trudy?" Rossi knew, Trudy was Jack´s favorite toy.

"And what about the Chief?" Dave wanted to know.

"She doesn´t like, Billie is growing up," Hotch said and Rossi nodded.

"I see her point, it would be hard for me too."

"Did you tell anyone?" Hotch asked.

Dave shook his head, "no, it´s just between Garcia and me."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rosslyn and Billie went to the school administration, to tell the director about the incidents. The director, a more old-school elderly man, could not believe what one of his students should be capable of. Horrified, he listened to what Billie had to tell. Rosslyn, who heard the entire report for the first time, felt really sick. Her daughter had been damn lucky, Rose was glad that Hotch had taken care of her. The director decided to dispense Billie from school for a week and announced a special campaign against sexual harassment.

So Rosslyn took her daughter to her office.

"This is all your´s?" Billie was surprised, "You're really important, are you?"

Rose laughed, "I guess, I am. Can I give you the tour?"

Billie nodded enthusiastically, "sure thing!"

"Who is this, with the Chief?" Reid asked, "that's her daughter?"

"Looks pretty similar to her," Emily said, "don´t you think, Morgan?"

Derek just came from a conversation with Hotch. He asked him to do a few units in self-defense with Billie and told him, what happened at the weekend. Morgan immediately said yes. He hated these guys, who could not take no as an answer. Fucking bastards. Rosslyn and Billie came up to the group surrounding Reid and the three of them noticed immediately Billie's black eye and her hurt lip.

"And these are Agent Prentiss, Dr. Reid and Agent Morgan", Rosslyn explained.

"Hotch has already spoken to me, Chief, if it´s okay for Billie, we can start right away."

"But I don´t have anything to wear", Billie said.

"You can borrow something from me," Emily offered. Billie´s weekend seemed to be not funny at all.

"Good," Morgan said, "we´re heading for the gym. Reid, you´ll join us, maybe you'll learn something."

Billie giggled, Reid was a little twerp, no problem to knock him out. Reid looked irritated, the girl was making fun of him? No way, Billie looked like an angel, he got lost in her large gray eyes, a bit.

"S-Surely not," Spencer stammered and fled to Garcia.

**A/N Spencer will meet a very special person, next chapter**


	10. Flo

**A/N Spencer meets his very special person, she´ll get him into trouble, I guess...**

**And, thanks again, for reviewing, I appreciate it very much!**

"Come on, honey, you call that angry?" Derek pushed her rough, he tried to provoke Billie.

"I'm not your honey, don´t call me that!" Billie pushed Morgan back.

"That's better, but still not enough for me, Kevin would die of laughter, little girl! You know what happens to little girls who don´t fight back?"

Morgan made Billie pissed, Billie suddenly saw Kevin and felt his hand cupping her breast roughly and how he opened her jeans and how his finger slipped into her. She struck with all her power, she kicked and punched again and again, she screamed, "I´m gonna kill you, you... you asshole, you wanker!"

Morgan let her scream and curse, until she fell on the mat, exhausted. He was amazed, how many cusses this girl knew.

He knelt down next to her, "it's ok, Billie, he can´t hurt you no more, do you hear me? I know, how it feels when you're helpless, I know exactly, Billie."

Billie looked at Derek confused, "You? You know? But you're so, so?"

"Strong? Now I am, back then I wasn´t."

Billie wiped a few tears away. "I'm sorry, how old were you then?"

"A bit younger than you, honey. You´ll forget about Kevin and meet a nice guy, the one you can really trust."

"It´ll be a cold day in hell, when that happens," Billie said demanded and stood up.

"Let's stop playing around. Show he, what I have to do."

Morgan grinned, there was no need to worry about that girl, she was tough one.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rosslyn was sitting with Garcia in her techno-universe and thanked her for breakfast.

"Oh, you don´t have to, Chief, is Billie feeling any better?"

"Yes, she has coped quite well, she was lucky."

"Did they arrest the guy?" Reid wanted to know. He had entrenched himself in Garcia´s place.

"Yes, Det. Jones has just called me, the bail was denied, he remains in custody."

Rosslyn's cell phone rang. "Baines? Who? I don´t understand. Florence, is that you? Why are you at the airport and what about Paris? I cannot pick you up, Flo, I have an appointment with my boss."

"I can pick her up, Chief," Reid spontaneously offered.

"Wait," Rose briefly removed the cell from her ear, "This would be great, Spencer. My sister Florence is at Dulles International, she just arrived from Paris."

"I´m gonna find her," Spencer said optimistically.

"Spencer? My sister is a little weird sometimes, don´t be dragged into something, okay?

Sis? I´m gonna send one of my agents, Dr. Reid. No, I´m not kidding, when I call him _my_ agent, see you."

Garcia grinned, "Sisters are great."

Rose laughed, "she one of my younger half-sisters. My mother died when I was as old as Jack. A few years later my father married again."

"And your stepmother is nice?" Garcia asked.

"Marie? Yes. She is a wonderful person, my father made a good choice."

"And so did you," Penelope said. "You could not have found a better man, chief," Garcia embraced Rosslyn spontaneously.

"Hey Garcia, that's my girl," Hotch said from behind the scenes, "Drew is waiting, Rosie. You´re coming?"

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Spencer took Rosslyn´s BMW, he was stuck in traffic on the way to the airport. How did he come up with the idea to pick up the chief´s sister? A sister, the Chief called, 'a bit weird'? Did she mean weird like funny or weird like strange? Spencer had enough time to think before he was finally able to leave the car in the parking lot. Straightway he went to the arrivals hall and looked around. His eyes got stuck on a small brunette, who tripped on the spot. She was accompanied by two huge suitcases and a large cardboard tube. But the most striking clue was her pink-colored shirt. It said 'Fuck Paris'.

"Hi, you are Florence?" he spoke to her on suspicion. "Depends on who´s asking", Flo replied, casting a critical eye on Reid, "Rosie said, she´d sent an agent. I was expecting James Bond not Q", she said this with an innocent glance and a wide southern accent.

Reid shrugged his shoulders, "Well, you'll have to take what you've got, Missy," he replied with the same accent.

Flo laughed, "Florence Evans," she held out her right hand.

"Dr. Spencer Reid," he said and took her hand.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"The director´s ready for you," Carrie, the receptionist said, opened the door and Rosslyn and Hotch entered William Drew's office. Drew wondered what Baines and Hotchner wanted from him. He had chosen Baines to replace Strauss, because he knew from previous conversations with Hotch that he saw no sense in kissing ass of politicians, instead of chasing real criminals. Politics, however, was an important aspect of the job, and so Rosslyn Baines had good cards. She had already been Assistant Chief in Atlanta, Drew was very satisfied with her and didn´t regret a single moment, bringing her to Quantico. He sincerely hoped, it stayed that way. Drew knew of the difficult relationship between his Unit Chief and the Section Chief. Hotchner didn´t get along very well with Strauss, too, but he only lined up with many others. Baines was popular and well liked, however, in the last three months she was chief, she had already achieved more than Strauss in three years.

"I hope none of you will ask for a transfer," Drew said loudly.

"We would like to avoid that, Director," Rosslyn replied.

"So, what's the problem between you and Agent Hotchner?" Drew looked at his staff, questioningly. After all, what he heard, he expected the temperature slipping down in his office a few degrees, but strangely enough, exactly the opposite happened.

Aaron grabbed Rosslyn´s hand, "we are in love," he dropped the bomb. He and Rose had a long discussion about how they would act in the future. At the end, it was clear. The cards had to be be put on the table. No matter what would mean for the careers of both. Drew opened his "emergency-drawer" and took out a bottle and three glasses.

"Not for me," Rose refused. He filled two glasses two finger-widths with the golden liquid.

"This is serious?"

Rosslyn nodded, "we got to know each other before I took office, and yes, this is serious, we both know, what this probably means for our career."

Drew emptied his glass in one gulp.

"Does this relationship influence the way you work?"

"No," Rose and Hotch said simultaneously.

Drew stood up and walked a few steps across the room. "I would be lying if I´d say I'm thrilled. But I do trust you both in having the professionalism to deal with the situation discreetly."

"Sir?" Hotch asked.

"As long as you don´t act inappropriate, I am willing to tolerate your relationship." Drew said resolute. Rose took a deep breath.

"What did you expect? I cannot afford to kick out two of my most capable employees. Moreover, and this is unofficially, I´m happy for both of you, especially for you, Aaron." A little bit later two very relieved agents left their Director´s office.


	11. Where the hell is she?

**Here we go again, have fun**

Reid did go deaf. Florence babbled and babbled, somewhere between the college of hotel management, Alain and the Eiffel Tower, Spencer had simply lost the plot. He cast another look in the rearview mirror. The black van he had noticed at the airport, was still behind them.

"Still listening to me actually, Doc?" Flo asked.

Spencer did not respond, he changed his lane several times, always followed by the other car.

"Any strange things happening on your flight?" Reid wanted to know.

"Strange? The flight was boring, no one really wanted to talk to me, I cannot imagine why."

Spencer rolled his eyes, he could imagine.

"Why do you want to know?"

"We are pursued by a black van, since the airport."

"We really are? How exciting. You think, this are bad guy´s?", Flo turned around and Spencer took a look at her very considerable butt. She looked through the rear window. Reid got an idea of what the Chief had meant by "weird". Without a doubt, she was sweet, a real cutie. Reid would have to be blind, not to notice. She looked a bit like the Chief, but unlike her sister she had much lighter hair and a rather boyish figure. But her laugh was as warm as Rosslyn´s.

"Don´t know, what you mean, I can´t see anything," Flo said and sat right back on the passenger´s seat.

She gave Reid a blink, "maybe you´re just a little paranoid?"

Never again, Reid thought, never again will I do a favor like that to someone.

"The mother of all wisdom, how can I help you?," Garcia said as she answered Reid´s call.

"Garcia, I need you to check a plate, AD 23 WH, you can do that for me?"

"Sure thing, little genius, did she drag you into something?"

"Hey, I've heard that," Florence groused.

"Just joking, sweetheart," Garcia said, "this plate belongs to a Honda Accord and is owned by a Matt Price, living in Arlington."

"At the moment it doesn´t. It´s on a black van and sticking at my butt ever since we left the airport."

"Oops", Penelope said, "Did you piss someone off?"

"ME? Definitely not." Spencer threw Flo a look, he left no doubt, she was supposed to be the culprit.

"I´m not dropping her off at the Chief´s house, I´m taking her to Quantico, just to be on the safe side." Reid said. "Will you let the Chief know?" "Sure thing, take care, kiddo. Garcia over and out."

Hotch was on his way to the gym to watch Derek and Billie a bit. They had already completed their training and Billie thanked Morgan with a dance routine. Derek leaned against the wall and watched fascinated Rosslyn´s daughter dancing apparently weightless through the gym.

"I've also never seen her dance," Hotch said, and turned to Morgan. After a while, the girl noticed Hotch and she came to him.

"Derek's cool, that was a good idea with the self-defense-thing," she grinned and hugged Hotch. "Where's Mom?"

"In her office, she is waiting for your aunt."

"But Flo has to be in Paris, she is attending a hotel-management-school?" Billie was surprised, but only a bit. Flo was always good for a surprise.

With "I know the way," Billie darted out of the gym. Hotch looked after her, smiling.

"You look happy," Morgan noticed, "haven´t seen you like this for so long, makes me happy, man," Derek patted Aaron´s shoulder, he was genuinely pleased for him. "I suppose the conversation with Drew went well?"

"You may look at this that way, I´m not allowed to kiss her in the office," Hotch said with his typical serious expression and Derek bursted with laughter.

Flo and Reid walked into the bullpen, arguing loudly. "It was not my fault, you as a cop should know, how speed traps look like", Flo was puffing up, enormously and Reid had to put something right.

"I'm not a cop, I´m a profiler and I don´t have to know how radar gauges look. I drove that fast because of you, I expect you to pay the ticket!"

"Dream on, Doc! Not in a hundred years, at least we got rid of the van!"

"Hey, hey, hey, everyone is calming down, a bit", Rosslyn said, "I´m gonna pay the ticket.", she said, reaching for it. "How much? Dear Lord, Spencer, was it warp 2? These are $ 750!"

"The speeding was $50," Reid said, "the rest is because of sexual harassment and attempted bribery of an officer on duty."

"You sexually harassed an officer?" Prentiss showed a cheeky grin and Reid turned red.

"I-It wasn´t me, P-Prentiss! She offered him to be 'friendly', if he forgets about the ticket."

"You did what?" Rosslyn's voice turned into a dangerously quiet tone.

"Oh, come on, Rosie! What about, 'Sis, I missed you a lot, so glad you´re here'? And, I didn´t know how stuffy that officer is. It´s so much easier in France. Besides, I didn´t offer him a blow-j..." Flo stopped abruptly when she saw the look in her sisters face.

"You will accompany me to my office. Now. I have to apologize in due form, Dr. Reid. My sister shouldn´t have put you in such a situation."

"Come on, Rosie," Flo said again, before she was interrupted by her sister, "move your ass Florence Marie Evans, before I kick it," Rose snapped and tugged Flo to her office.

"Move your ass, before I kick it? Did she just say so?" Reid asked, he was still irritated by Florence. Emily nodded, "Oh, yeah. She did."

Billie did not trust herself into her mother´s office. Her aunt sat on a visitor's chair and got smaller and smaller.

"You okay?" Hotch asked.

"Me? Fine. But Mom is pissed and Flo says nothing."

She probably has no chance, Hotch thought for himself, his loved one was vigorously stepping back and forth, in her office. Rose didn't yell, but she spoke tirelessly to her sister. He hoped that he would never come into the dubious pleasure of such a conversation.  
"What van were you talking about?" Rose asked.

"The doc said, someone was behind us, following us." Flo replied.

"And it was?"

"Pfff, no idea, I haven´t seen anything." Flo gave herself innocent.

"Any reason you can think of why anyone is following you?" Rosslyn was not going to let her of the hook.

"You act like I´m one of your UnSubs, I am your sister, not a conspiratorial person. Is one person enough, to be conspiratorial, or do there have to be more?" Rose chuckled against her will, Flo was impossible.

"The issue is not over yet," she threatened her sister. Rose waved Billie in. She had noticed her at the door for quite some time. Billie also pulled Hotch immediately into the office.

"Hi Flo!" She hugged her aunty Flo stormy and warmly.

Flo's eyes fell on Hotch and she grinned, "You should have sent me this one, he is really sweet."

"The 'sweet one' is SSA Hotchner and already off the market." Rosslyn said sharply, "Aaron, the outrageous person is my sister Florence Evans."

Hotch threw rose a slightly reproachful look, "You didn´t call me sweet, yet. Hello Florence, nice to meet you."

"Hi SSA Hotchner," Flo extended SSA as she was saying 'super-sweet-agent', and was conceding an elbow kick in the ribs, from her sister. Flo made "Ouch" and Billie giggled. "I think we should go home," Rose said firmly. She kissed Hotch shortly.

"We eat at 7", and Hotch nodded.

The man in the black van was really pissed off. "You could have told me! Yes, it is a problem. Your chick´s sister is FBI!" He growled into his cell phone, "You´ll have to pay me some extra, I´m not in it for nothing. Why can´t you just take care of your fucking stuff? Let this girl run away with it! Get your ass in a plane and come over as soon as possible!"

He decided to pay the long, skinny one a visit, before he went into the lion's den. He followed Spencer unremarkable.

Rose was handing out lasagna as the doorbell rang. Violently.

"I'll get it," Billie said, and opened. Spencer pushed Billie aside, "Where the hell is she?"


	12. You dont want me?

**And here we go again. Thanks' for r & r, guys. Hope you´ll enjoy.**

Reid boarded Rosslyn´s dining room.

"Hi Doc," Florence grinned, "did you fall among robbers?"

Spencer actually looked a bit disheveled.

"What did you snitch from your boyfriend?"

"I didn´t snitch anything, why you say so?"

"Maybe, because I had a visitor? And he constantly asked me where_ it_ is? And my apartment looks like after the Big Bang!"

The guy had overturned Reid's bookshelves, Spencer had no sense of humor when it came to his books.

"Come on, Reid, sit back and calm down first. And then tell us what's going on."

Hotch tried to bring some order into the chaos. Reid sat down reluctantly and Rose took another plate and cutlery out of the closet.

"Eat something, Spencer," Rose said, "there is a rule in my house. No talks about business or bad things at the table. This is family time and nothing else. Plus, we got Jack sitting at this table, Billie will take care of him, after dinner. That all right with you, Jack?"

Jack nodded, "yes, Billie´s mum." He enjoyed his pasta.

"The lasagna is very good, Chief," Reid chewed.

"It really is, Rosie," Flo agreed.

She conceded an oblique glance from Reid. Did she try, in all seriousness, to act nice to him? Flo thought a try wouldn´t hurt and she blinked at Reid seductively. Reid still looked grim and Flo went up on the inside of his leg with her foot, looking as innocent as possible. Spencer winced and shifted in his chair.

Billie giggled, "I guess, Flo is ready for a back-seat-speech", she said to Hotch. "Florence isn´t in my responsibility, but you already are," Aaron replied.

"Back-seat-speech?" Rose wanted to know.

"Long story," Hotch dodged.

After Billie left with Jack into her room, Flo´s period of grace came to an end.

"Well Missy, what's going on? Who is the guy from the van and what does he want from you? And for God's sake, don´t you waste this innocent face on us, no one is about to believe it."

Rosslyn looked at her sister seriously. "It´s not only you, getting into trouble, but also one of my agents, and Billie and Jack? I will not even start to talk about them."

Flo swallowed, "I really don´t know the man in the van, you´re the only one, I know here in DC."

"But?"

"But maybe I know, who sent him."

"That´s a start," Reid said.

"I, um. I left Paris in a hurry, Rosie. I had trouble with Alain, big time. He got rough, not in bed, of course, I´m fond of that, but this is probably not the right time for this." Flo noticed the disapproving look from Hotch and Reid just groaned. Flo's horizontal preferences were the last thing that interested him now.

"What is _it_?" Rose asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe the picture that I took, but I didn´t snitch it, it was a gift from Alain!"

"A gift that he wants to have back again," Hotch stated.

"Where is it now? In your room?"

Flo nodded, "I'll go get it," she disappeared upstairs.

"Sorry," Rose said, "she is always like that."

A few minutes later Flo came back with the big cardboard tube that Reid already knew. Spencer took the tube from her and opened it up. What came to light was a landscape painting, not a necessarily artistic value one, but not unappealing.

"Why exactly did you lift that thing?" Spencer asked, perplexed.

"Alain is an art dealer, I thought, if he gives me a gift like that, it will be worth something. Besides, I didn´t lift it!" Flo glared at Reid.

"I don´t know, if that´s worth anything, but I´m not into art like this. Maybe a x-ray analysis or a radiocarbon dating will be helpful. I know someone at the university, but we´ll probably have to wait until tomorrow morning."

Spencer sighed, "I'll take that thing with me and take care of it. I guess this perp won´t show up again in my apartment, the picture is safe with me."

"I'm going with you, to clean up," Flo offered. "It's the least I can do." Flo made her I´m-a-pretty-nice-person-you-can-trust-me face and blinked at Reid. She squeezed a few little tears from her eyes, "I'm so sorry, Spencer", she whispered.

What could possibly go wrong, Spencer thought.

"All right, Come with me." He didn´t notice Rosslyn´s horrified look and went on ahead to the car.

"Flo, one moment," Rose grabbed her sister´s arm, "Alain, what next? You got a picture, just in case?"

Flo nodded, "Alain du Bois, et quelle surprise, un foto. Got Bluetooth, Rosie?"

A few seconds later Alain du Bois appeared on Roses blackberry.

She watched her sister leave. "She´ll eat Reid alive, Aaron."

Rose groaned and Hotch grinned.

"I'm not sure if Reid ever met a girl like Florence, but he can take it...I guess."

He pulled her close and kissed her, "incidentally, there is someone I could eat alive, as well, honey."

Hotch pushed Rose towards the couch and made her sit astride on his lap.

"You're crazy," Rosslyn laughed.

"I know", Hotch replied and rucked up Rosslyn´s dress.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"You arrange your books by subject areas and within the areas in alphabetical order?" asked Flo, who passed Spencer the collected works.

"Yes, of course, how else should I sort them?" he asked in amazement.

"Not at all?"

"You cannot put unsorted books on a shelf," Reid shook his head in disbelief. Flo sat down cross-legged on Reid's bed.

"You're too inflexible, Doc," she said, studying him thoroughly from top to bottom. Flo grinned as Reid turned red. Actually, he's quite cute, she thought. Not her usual type, but Flo was always open to new ideas. She stood up and put her arms around his neck.

"Just relax, Spencer, I just want to have some fun," almost automatically Spencer put his arms around Florence and kissed her briefly.

"But fun is not what I want, Flo," he let go of her and stepped back.

"You don´t want me?" Flo asked, shocked, that never happened before.

"I didn´t say that," Reid replied and put his remaining books in the book shelf.

"Okay, so you don´t like it when I'm so offensive?"

"I don´t like that you are so offensive, at all" Spencer said. "Does that make me a bourgeois?"

"I don´t know," Florence said thoughtfully, "does it make me a bitch?"

Flo had never wasted a thought about what others thought about her.

"Something I didn´t mean to suggest, please excuse me, Florence."

"It´s all right, Doc. Rosie was always the most decent of us. We are only half-sisters, but that has never made a difference. I've always admired her, she has always done everything right, except perhaps marrying Richard Baines. I hate him, Doc. I really do. He has been digging on me, as soon as I was old enough. I never told Rosie. I didn´t want to be a reason for them to split up. Richard called me a shameless little thing and that I wanted it too. He...he dragged me into his bed, threatening me, if I´m gonna tell anyone, I´ll lose my sis. She won´t believe a single word I say."

Flo started shaking, "I didn´t tell anyone, yet, Spencer."

"And you believed him?"

"I was seventeen, an innocent virgin, what do you think?" Her eyes filled with tears, and this time it was real ones. Reid swallowed and clumsy he wrapped his arms around her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Billie was thirsty and was heading to the kitchen. She remained unsettled on the stairs, because she heard her mother and Hotch in the living room.

"Oh, Aaron..."

Billie blushed as she heard her mother say this in a low, passionate voice. Billie wanted to go back to her room, but somehow it magically pulled her to the living room. She risked a very quick look. As far as Billie could see, both were dressed, but her Mum was sitting on Hotch's lap, she laid her head on his shoulder and Hotch covered her upper body. He moved back and forth gently, stroking her hair and back repeatedly.

"I love you, Rose," he was saying and Billie retired quietly. She was breathing heavily and had to think of Kevin, who had so brutally touched her. For her Mum and Hotch this must have been quite different, she had never seen her Mum like that. Billie was overwhelmed by her feelings. She sat down on the stairs and began to cry.

"I don´t know, how you always talk to me into things like this," Rosslyn whispered and Hotch chuckled.

"Because it´s exactly what you want, as much as I do," he kissed Rose again. "You hear that?" Hotch asked suddenly, "someone is crying."

"That´s Billie," Rose said and broke away from Hotch. She pushed her dress back in place and reached for her panties.

"I cannot go without it, Aaron," he handed her the desired.

"But that would be very exciting," he said and kissed her neck.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Oh Mum," Billie cried and let herself sink into her mother's arms. Rose hugged her tightly.

"It's all right, darling, I'm here, it's because of Kevin?"

Billie nodded, suddenly everything became present again. "I saw how Hotch held you and said that he loves you, t-that was so beautiful and then I remembered Kevin and how he touched me," she sobbed again, and Rose tried to calm her daughter, hugging her tighter. Rose was about to cry too, as Hotch came and sat down on the stairs.

"Can I do something?" he asked.

"Don´t ever go away," Billie said and grabbed Aaron's hand. "I won´t, Billie, definitely not."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Reid woke up, because he had the feeling of being buried under bricks. It took some time until he oriented himself, he was not used to share his bed with someone. The bricks turned out to be Florence, who had settled comfortably on his chest. She did not want to be alone and promised with a cheeky grin, to keep her fingers to herself. He thought about Flo, he was so wrong, about her. She was superficially and exaggerated, he thought at first, but yesterday he recognized that there also was a very different side. A side, she hid almost perfect. What she told him about her sister´s ex, shook him. The Chief had to know about that, he wanted to discuss that later.

"Your little bitch found a replacement, very quickly," suddenly a voice came out of the twilight.


	13. Pretty close

Florence woke up and clung instinctively to Reid.

"But you didn´t do a good exchange, Florence, since when you're on milk faces?" Alain asked, waving a weapon around.

"Who are you and what do you want? Isn´t one time enough to ravage my apartment?", Spencer said. His own gun was in his safe, almost perfect, he thought.

"That's my ex, Spencer. You´re so stupid, Alain. I've taken your picture, because you have given it to me, for no other reason. You could simply ask me to give it back, instead of sending me your gorilla." She threw the second man an angry look.

"Why don´t we handle that like s-sensible adults?" Reid asked, pushing himself protectively in front of Florence. "Let the girl go and you´ll get the picture, right?"

"I guess, I'll take the girl _and_ the picture, don´t you think, Michel?" Alain grabbed Flo by her hair and pulled her brutally out of Reid´s bed.

"You think you can just leave me, Florence?" he hissed, "You're mine, until I tell you, it´s over!" He hit Florence into her face, clashed her on the floor and kicked her violently with his foot into her rib side. Spencer had no chance to do anything, Michel held him on the bed.

"Fucking coward," Reid gasped, "how can you beat a woman?!"

"Oh, don´t bother, she likes that, beanpole, didn´t she tell you?"

"That's not true," Flo said, sobbing.

"Say again, I'm lying," Alain punched and kicked Florence again, she screamed in pain.

"Alain, stop it, you´re gonna kill her!" Michel, his accomplice said. "You're not gonna drag me into murder, do you understand? Art theft and burglary are one thing, killing people is another."

"You're right," Reid interjected, "you still can come out of this, almost clean, Michel, but if your partner is losing control, things will become difficult. Did it cross your mind, that maybe he wants to leave no witnesses behind?"

Michel looked confused between Reid and Alain back and forth.

"Oh, come on. Don´t be stupid. Don´t you get, what he is trying to do here? Want´s to play us against each other, these are just psychological tricks," Alain stated, "fetter the guy to the bed post, DO IT!"

At this moment Reid's cell phone rang.

"Who is Hotch?" Alain asked, after looking at the display.

"My boss. If I don´t answer that, he´ll get suspicious."

Alain hesitated, "well, but be careful what you say," he held the gun to Florence´s temple, "and you keep your mouth shut," he snapped at the weeping woman.

"Hi Hotch. No, things are pretty complicated, I don´t have anything new, Prof. Foyet isn´t in right now. I spoke to his secretary, I made it extremely urgent. I have to go now, see you as soon as possible."

**XXXXXXXXX**

Rose just set the breakfast table, as Hotch stormed into the dining room. "Reid has problems, call Washington PD, Det. Jones, and send him to Reid's apartment, Reid and Florence have uninvited visitors." Hotch had understood Reid's reference to Foyet immediately.

"You're not going without me, Aaron," Rosslyn said, took her gun from the safe and put it into the holster.

"Billie!"

"Yes, Mum?" Rosslyn´s daughter raced down the stairs,

"You're gonna take of Jack, we have to go!"

"Because of Flo and Spencer?" Hotch nodded, "I'll take care of your mom, okay?", he said when he saw how hard Billie was hugging her mother.

"Let's go," Rose kissed her daughter on the forehead.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

"Tell him where the picture is, Spencer, please," Flo pleaded, "he hurts me so bad," Alain actually held her as in a vice on her upper arm.

"We are dead if I do, Flo," Reid tried to explain, hoping that Hotch would hurry up, Florence couldn´t stand this much longer, she was beside herself with fear.

"I'm going to hurt her a lot more than this, if you don´t talk finally, milk face."

Alain lost more and more control of himself, he tore Flo's blouse apart and pressed a brutal kiss on her lips. Reid tugged at his handcuffs, but fixated stable against the bedpost... he had no chance.

"That's enough," Michel interrupted Alain´s action, "do what you want, but I cut this off, here and now. You´re completely nuts! This isn´t worth it!"

Michel left Reid's apartment hastily...

... and abruptly stared into the weapons of two FBI agents and three officers from the Washington PD. Automatically he raised his hands. "Alain is still in there and he is not in a good mood."

Rose grabbed the man by the collar and pushed him rudely to the opposite wall, "What about the hostages? I'll swear to you, everyone is looking the other way if I pull this trigger." Rose said quietly, she had her arm against his throat and pressed her SIG into his private parts, she was nauseated, she had no nerve for gadgets.

"The tall one is tied to the bed and the girl had to take quite something."

Inside the apartment Florence screamed again.

"He has got a gun," Michel was offering another information, he wanted to make as much ground as possible.

"That's enough now," Jones said, "You are under arrest. And have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you can not afford a lawyer , one will provided you on government expense. Did you understand your rights?"

Michael nodded, "let´s go, okay?" He obviously assumed that Rose would become serious.  
Morgan and Rossi took the stairs two at a time, on the way to Reid's apartment. In the corridor they met Officer Brown with a handcuffed Michel.

"One is still in there and has a girl and one of your men hostage," Brown said at Rossi's demand.

"Bloody hell," Morgan cursed, "we need to in there."

Alain noticed the noises in hall, he got nervous.

"What's going on?" He squeezed Flo on the ground, tightly, "if you're moving, you're dead, do you understand?"

Flo nodded.

"I didn´t hear you," Alain said angrily.

"I'm d-d-dead if I m-move," Florence stammered through her tears. Reid´s heart clenched as he saw her that way. Alain went to the window and at that moment Morgan kicked the door in.  
Five minutes later, Alain du Bois, or Allan van Szandt, as he was called correctly, lied in handcuffs on the floor. Garcia found him in some Interpol files, van Szandt van was Dutch, a sought art thief and had several previous convictions for aggravated assault.

Rosslyn knelt by her sister and Hotch freed Reid from the handcuffs. Morgan pulled van Szandt up and handed him over to Det. Jones.

"How are you, pretty boy?" He asked Reid worried.

"I'm fine, take care of Florence, he hurt her pretty bad." Flo was still crying uncontrollably, Rose had a chance to calm her sister down. She let the paramedics do their job. Rose leaned against the wall and slid down in slow motion. "You okay, Chief?" Rossi asked.

"Nothing is okay, Dave," Rose said toneless.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"First Billie and then Florence, when does this end, Aaron?" Rosslyn asked in the waiting area of the hospital.

"I don´t not know, Honey," Hotch took her in his arms.

"Mrs. Baines?"

"Yes, that´s me, how is my sister?" Rose turned in the direction of the M.D.

"Miss Evans suffered severe bruising on her face and two broken ribs on her left side, the third and fourth rib. She's in shock, we had to sedate her and she's sleeping now. It won´t make sense to visit her, until tomorrow. You should go home and get some rest."

The doctor threw Rosslyn a serious look, "You should take extra care of yourself, Mrs. Baines," he exhorted her and went back to Florence´s room.

"I'm going to stay here," Reid said, and prepared to follow the doctor. Rose put her hand on his arm, "none of this is your fault, Spencer, there was nothing, you could do. Flo always picks up the wrong men."

"Oh, does she? Did you ever ask yourself, why that is? Maybe you´re gonna ask your ex-husband?!" Spencer pulled her hand away and disappeared into Flo's room. Rosslyn looked after him, clueless.

"What the hell did I miss?", she asked.

"We won´t dicuss that issue now," Hotch said, "the doctor is right, you look like hell. Reid is here to stay and he is watching over Florence. We're going home, Billie is probably worried, Rose."

What Hotch did not say was: I am worried about you, he had the vague feeling that Rose was concealing something, he was wondering why she did not trust him. Something he had said or done that she had perceived wrong? He could not imagine, what the fuck this might have been.


	14. The right person?

"You know that I love you and you can talk about anything with me, right?" Aaron asked her in the car.

"Of course," Rose said irritated.

"So, why are you keeping things for yourself?" Hotch looked at her questioningly and Rosslyn felt pressured.

"Stop profiling me, Aaron," she said, more sharply than intended.

"Letting the boss out, now?" Hotch snapped back.

"You wouldn´t want me to let the boss out, Aaron. I did not get to where I am now, because I'm such a nice thing." Rose sounded pretty bossy.

"Probably I misjudged you, Rosslyn, you didn´t look like a Strauss person to me, that far."

"How can you put me and Strauss on the same level," she asked, sounding really pissed.

"I didn´t do that!"

"No? Then I might have problems with my ears."

"Maybe you´re just hearing, what you want to hear, Rose," Hotch said softly.

"What is this all about, Aaron? I don´t wanna argue with you and I'm sorry, I'm not bitchy at all, you know that. But you're right. We need to talk about something."

"Talking is all I wanted from you, love. I had no intention to argue you out." Hotch said.

"We just had such a thing as a marital quarrel?" Rosslyn asked after a while. "I think so, even if we´re not married." Hotch said, stopped at the red light and grabbed Rosslyn's hand. She leaned over to Aaron and kissed him, "I love you Aaron, you have no reason to doubt me."

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Morgan walked quietly into Florence's hospital room. Reid sat on a visitor's chair and read something to sleeping Flo.

"Hey, pretty boy," Derek whispered, "how is she doing?"

Reid shook his head, "not good, the doctor had put her under sedation. Did you arrest him?"

"What do you think? The Dutch have already filed an extradition request, they were looking for that guy for years. The picture is probably a Picasso, van Szandt has stolen from a private art collector, half a year ago and just painted it over. He thought it might be safe with Flo. How you´re holding up?" "Me? I´m fine. But it was awful when she was beaten by Alain, Morgan. I couldn´t do anything, I felt so helpless. Flo was screaming and crying like hell. She is a lovely person, Derek, she did not deserve that."

"Don´t you let this come to you that close pretty boy. You know her only a little."

"I don´t think you can tell, Morgan. And it´s non of your business, at all."

Reid said stiffly and continued to read half aloud. Morgan understood the message and left.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Jack? Billie?" Hotch called out as he opened the front door.

"Nobody home?" Rose wanted to know.

"Almost looks like it," he went into the kitchen, "I'll make us some tea, okay?"

"Yes please," Rose took off her shoes and her eyes fell on a post-it note at the wardrobe mirror, "they are at the playground, Aaron."

She went to the kitchen and sat down on a stool at the bar. Aaron handed her a cup of ginger tea and stroked Rose's cheek, "no matter what it is, Rosie, we´ll make it."

Rosslyn took a deep breath and put the cup on the counter.

"I don´t, how to tell you this, Billie will probably keep reminding me about that for years. I gave her an endless lecture on 'safer sex' and didn´t waste a single thought myself."

It took Hotch a long moment before he understood, what Rose had just said.

"How long do you know?"

"Only for a few days, I collapsed at the conference and went to the doctor. I first had to understand it myself, Aaron. I didn´t expect to get pregnant and what happened to Billie has not necessarily made it easier."

Rose began to cry, "I'm so sorry, Aaron, I..., I can understand if you don´t want to have that baby," she sobbed.

"You're such a sheep, Rosslyn, how come you think I might not want the baby? This is our child, love. Yours and mine, Rosie. I love you so much, you and our baby." Hotch wiped her tears away and held her tightly. Quite objectively Hotch clung a bit to Rose, too. He was shocked, surprised, overwhelmed. Hotch had counted on a lot, but never on news like this. He clearly understood that Rosslyn first had to deal with it, alone. He had a lump in his throat and the joy of once again becoming a father hit Hotch like a giant wave.

"We're back!" Jack yelled, "stop tickling me, Billie," he chuckled and Billie laughed out loud when Jack squeaked. She glanced into the kitchen and looked at Hotch and her mother, her Mum was... crying? and Hotch looked somehow quite alike.

"You may wash your hands right now, Jacko."

She looked questioningly at Rose, "You´re crying because of aunty Flo? I'm old enough, what happened?"

"Florence is in the hospital, Billie. She is hurt. Not so badly, but she needs rest and she'll be okay." Hotch said.

"Is that all? Mum?" Billie was suspicious and asked again.

"Not quite, but we can talk about it afterwards," Rose replied.

"Daddy!" Jack leaped to his father, "hi, Billie´s Mum!"

Rosslyn smiled, Jack always called her like that, a Rose or Rosie did not come over his lips.

"Hi Jack," she ruffled his hair, "had fun at the playground?"

"A lot, Billie´s Mum. But now I´m totally hungry."

"We can do something about that, Buddy," Hotch said, "pancakes?"

"With sausage in it?" Jack looked at his father.

"We have to ask Rosie if she has sausages"

"I surely have it, Jack. Yet I know, how much you like them." Rose replied and went to get the ingredients out of the cupboard.

"No. My job, honey. Lie down and get some rest, ok?"

Rosslyn looked at Hotch, a little doubtfully. "It´s all right, Billie´s Mum, Daddy can do pancakes." Jack said, patting Roses hand caringly.

"We should let the men do their work in the kitchen, Mum," Billie said, took her mother´s hand and walked her into the bedroom.

"And now I want to know why exactly you cried," Billie said, sounding exactly like her mother.

"That was just the hormones, honey."

"What nonsense, you're just forty," Billie was not an expert, but the menopause was something, only old women got.

"So you think, I'm still young enough for being a mum, again?"

"Don´t fuck with me, Mum" Billie opened her eyes wide and showed a cheeky grin, "So you _didn´t_ use condoms?"

Rose turned red, she knew, this was coming. "We didn´t plan it, Billie, but Aaron and I are very pleased."

"We could expand the attic, then I can move and little dwarfy can have my room." Billie was already making her own plans. She hugged her mother, "I'm so happy for you and Hotch is right, you have to rest. You´ll have to take good care of little dwarfy."

She fluffed up the pillow. "I'll stay until you're asleep, Mum."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Spencer was fallen asleep, we he suddenly heard Flo sob.

"Florence? It's okay, I'm there," Spencer patted her hand.

"Doc? Where is Alain? My face hurts so much, Spence."

"We have him in custody, Flo, he won´t hurt you no more."

"But he hurt me, Spencer, I didn´t mean to do something wrong," Flo began to cry again and Reid pressed the emergency button. The nurse appeared instantly.

"She should sleep until tomorrow morning," she said to Spencer, reproachfully and gave Florence another dose of sedatives.

"Stay with me, Spencer," she whispered before she fell asleep again. Spencer had to think about what Derek had said, on their way home from Frenzy. Everything does not automatically get right, even if you find the right person. Reid was not sure, whether Flo was "his" right person, but damn. It felt like that.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

"Daddy, the pancake is bla-ack, again " Jack complained, "I told Billie's Mum you can do pancakes."

"Rosie's stove is different from ours, Jack," Hotch tried to save his neck and already disposed the second test into the trash.

"I think, I´ll handle that," Billie grinned after she had taken a look at the malheur. "Apparently, there are things you can do a lot better than pancakes", Billie´s grin became a little wider and Hotch realized, she knew it.

"Is it okay for you?" he asked.

"I am very fond of being a big sister, a little brother I already have." Billie hugged Hotch and he returned the embrace warmly.

"Thank you, Billie, you're a fantastic girl, you know that?"

"Tell me something I don´t know yet," Billie laughed and grabbed the pan. A few minutes later she brought a perfect sample of a pancake on Jack's plate.

"That looks good," Jack said after Hotch had wrapped the sausage in it. Then Jack remembered something.

"Can Billie become my real sister, Daddy?"

"Would you like that?" Hotch asked.

Jack nodded, "I love Billie a lot."

"I love you too, Jack," Billie stroked over his head.

"Then I´ll have to discuss that with Billie´s Mum," Hotch smiled as he said this.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

And finally...

Florence woke up because she had a bad dream. Of Alain, the beatings and the pain, which she now realized that was not a dream at all. She saw a man sitting in semi-darkness, Spencer? Flo tried to sit up and moaned, "Shit, that hurts."

"Florence? You okay?"

Yes, Flo thought, this is Spencer and he sounds very worried. "I think I'm still alive, Doc, not your merit, I have to say. Why didn´t you just tell him where the damn thing is? You really thought, he´d kill us?"

"How many sadists you had to do deal with already, Flo? How much? Tell me. For me there were so many that I stopped counting. Alain was completely losing control. He would have killed us, that's so sure, as it can be. Do you believe me?"

He asked pressingly, it was important to him that she understood.

"Maybe?"

"Maybe isn´t enough, Flo."

"Just like you didn´t want to have some fun?"

Reid groaned, "You want to start this discussion again?"

"No, I just think there are many things that are not enough for you, Spencer. Why is that? Perfection is boring, Doc. Life isn´t perfect."

"Morgan said, we have to make something out of the gray."

Flo didn´t understand a single word.

"What? I only know shades of grey, Spence."

"The world isn´t black or white, it is up to us what we make out of the gray shades," Spencer said.

"You're a lot funnier than me," Florence summed and wasn´t sure if that was a good thing. She liked Reid, because he was different, she found him cute when he blushed, which was almost anytime and it had been a good feeling, to fall asleep in his arms. "When I'm out of here, I´m going to visit my parents in Atlanta. And Richard." Flo said firmly.

"You want to face him?" Florence nodded, "maybe I´ll shoot him", she giggled but became serious again. "I want you to come with me."

Reid had a vague feeling that this was like that moment in the horror movies, where the dumb blonde went to the basement to look up where the noise was coming from. A very bad move. Reid said yes, anyway.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Rosslyn woke up, when it just dawned outside. Aaron had clung to her back and put his arm protectively over her belly. She felt his warm breath on her neck and sighed contentedly.

"You okay?" Aaron asked worried, he had immediately noticed that Rose was awake. "I am just happy, Aaron," Rose said softly, and turned to face him, "You won´t treat me with kid gloves, the next six months, you promise me that?"

"That will be difficult," Aaron grumbled and gently stroked Rosslyn´s belly.

"You´re finally expecting a little Hotchner."

Rose chuckled, "and what, if there's a small Baines girl in it?"

"Hm," Aaron said, "I´ll take both, Rosie."

He kissed her and his hands moved from her stomach to other regions. Rose groaned softly.

"Oh, don´t you stop."

Hotch´s touch chased shivers through her body and she pressed herself against his hip. He chuckled, "You're pretty greedy, Mum," he removed the short nightgown and her panties. Rose smiled as his boxers fell too and he gently glided into her. She put her arms around his neck, how good it felt to finally come home. Starting a little patchwork family, Aaron, Jack, Billie and the little one, that was growing inside of her...

**A/N**  
**So, this is the temporary end of this story. But since there are still loose ends, a sequel is in order. Spencer has a bad feeling about Atlanta, is he right? Will Hotch and Rose become happy parents? I´ll answer that in 'Deep south', coming soon.**

**And, I have to thank You so much for reading and reviewing. Hope You liked it and You´ll join me again. Bye for now, Susen**

**Oh, and if someone is wondering about the pancakes, German pancakes are about the size of a French crepes, you can easily wrap a sausage in it.**


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